The 0.8-mile-long loop in Pictograph Cave State Park, which is located near Billings, is marked with information explaining the 100 pictographs, or rock paintings, found there. It’s one of the most fascinating Montana hikes. The park’s three main caves – Pictograph, Middle, and Ghost cave – were home to generations of prehistoric hunters. The oldest rock art in the cave is over 2,000 years old. Visit the AllTrails webpage for more about the trail. To learn more about Pictograph Cave State Park head to our previous article.

If you love seeking out abandoned places in Montana, this is the place to visit. The path to Coolidge Ghost Town, which is located south of Butte, involves a one-mile walk down an eerie but beautiful forest trail. You’ll see lots of dilapidated buildings as you walk through the woods, and it’s easy to imagine how life used to be in this old mining town. Read our previous coverage to learn more about this ghost town.

Garnet Ghost Town is Montana’s best-preserved abandoned town. Edward Brook Warren, a civil war vet, built a cabin about a mile and a half from Garnet. He also paved a path from Garnet to his cabin, eventually building a park to encourage visitors. Today you can travel along that trail and walk to Warren Park, enjoying the quiet of the forest and the remnants of the ghost town along the way. To learn more about Garnet Ghost Town, read our previous article.

Located high in the East Pioneer Mountains near the ghost town of Glendale, these kilns are over 100 years old. The kilns were used between 1881 and 1900 to reduce 11,665 acres of pine trees down to 19 million bushels of charcoal. To reach the site, you’ll follow an old dirt road for about 15 miles and then hike on a trail from the parking lot. The trail is marked with interpretive signs explaining the history of the area. Read more about these charcoal kilns along with the ruins of Glendale in this article.