Montana

After my trip to Colorado I flew straight to Montana to see my best friend Sofia, who lives in Bozeman. We grew up in Oregon together so seeing her is always a super special time.

Day 1

Once I landed in Bozeman our first stop was to drive up to a lake and get out in the sunshine. Sofia took us to Hyalite Canyon and Reservoir , which was such a beautiful area and it was only about a 30 minute drive from Bozeman.

Hyalite Canyon is perfect for camping, walking around the lake, hiking, paddleboarding, swimming, kayaking, grilling, you name it. There were also plenty of wildflowers blooming and butterflies floating around. On the way home we stopped by the grocery store and did some shopping to prep for our camping trip the next day.

Day 2

The next morning we packed up the car for camping, stopped for a quick coffee and drove into the mountains, back up near Hyalite. We were doing dispersed camping so we spent an hour or so scouting out different spots before settling on one close to a river and nestled in a canyon near the lake.

We made dinner, explored the area, made a fire, played some music and roasted smores. The stars were so bright and beautiful here and we lay on a nearby bridge watching shooting stars and pointing out constellations. It was an ideal spot and was one of the best camping experiences I’ve had (and I’ve camped a lot).

Day 3

Originally we were planning to camp for two nights in a row, but Sofia had rolled her ankle the night before, so we packed everything up and headed back to Bozeman. The views of the reservoir were beautiful and it was perfect weather!

The rest of the day we took it easy and just lounged around. We definitely wanted to go camping again before my trip was over so we were hoping Sofia’s injury would resolve and we could head out again in the next day or so.

Day 4

The next morning we decided to drive up to Fairy Lake, which was just over an hour’s drive from Bozeman. This spot blew me away, it was easily one of the most pretty lakes I’ve ever seen and I could see how it got its name. The winding path down to the water, magical wildflowers growing everywhere and clear blue water were simply gorgeous.

We swam for a bit and soaked up the sun before heading back to the car. The lake is only a short walk from the parking lot, so it’s easy to bring a paddleboard, kayak, chairs, etc. There are also picnic benches near the parking lot that are perfect for lunch.

We headed back to Sofia’s house to get ready for “Music on Main”, where local bands and musicians play on Main Street in downtown Bozeman.

This was such a fun event and the street was packed full of people. We wandered around grabbing food and bar hopping for a few hours while enjoying the music.

Day 5

The next morning we packed up for another night of camping and drove West from Bozeman, exploring some lakes before finding another dispersed camping spot.

This area was more of a desert climate and had some gorgeous views. A pretty wild thunderstorm came through and we watched the lightning for a few hours. Finally the sky cleared and we got a gorgeous sunset!

Day 6

My flight back to Seattle was leaving later that afternoon, so we threw everything into the car and headed back to Bozeman, grabbing some more coffee on the way. It was hard saying goodbye to Sofia when she dropped me off the airport — we really are like sisters, but I was just grateful to get to spend a week adventuring with her!

This trip was so special to me, getting to explore such serene and beautiful places with one of my best friends was incredible. The last time I was in Montana I visited Yellowstone, so getting to see more of Bozeman and the surrounding lakes and hiking spots was super fun. I can’t wait to come back!