Pets allowed
Allowed with Restrictions
Elevation Gain
1,013.00 ft (308.76 m)
Trail type
Loop
Distance
5.40 mi (8.69 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The Middle View Trail is the newest trail in Montana’s oldest state park. This well-known Montana state park brushes the route of Lewis and Clark’s famous westward expedition and contains one of the Northwest’s largest limestone cave networks.

Access the trailhead from the park’s campground. Briefly follow the Cave Gulch Trail across a wide, sagebrush-filled slope. After reaching a small hill in the mountainside, take a right and begin a moderate series of switchbacks along the eastern face of the mountain. As you tread further along the trail, views of the Tobacco Roots and the Gallatin Range’s Spanish Peaks appear along the southeastern horizon.

The Middle View Trail intersects with the Eastside Trail. Left at the junction takes you to the upper visitor center parking lot, where you can access the cave system, gift shop, and the tail end of the Cave Gulch Trail. The cave is open for guided tours only from May 1 to September 30. Special holiday candlelight tours are available in December.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

State Park Fee

Pros

Stunning views. Great early season hiking.

Cons

Rattlesnakes in the summer.

Trailhead Elevation

4,270.00 ft (1,301.50 m)

Features

Historically significant
Lodging
Mine
Big Game Watching
Wildlife
Big vistas
Fishing
Cave
Geologically significant
Big Game Watching

Suitable for

Biking

Location

Nearby Adventures

Big Sky + Gallatin River Valley, Montana
Big Sky + Gallatin River Valley, Montana
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