Plenty of adventures waiting in Montana
<p>Water rushes through Avalanche Gorge in Glacier National Park, Mont., Aug. 3, 2012. If you're looking for adventure in the New Year forget the pricey plane tickets and the passports, Montana has got you covered.</p>
<p>In this July 25, 2013 file photo, the moon begins to set over a waterfall near Logan Pass on Going-To-The-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, Mont.</p>
<p>Jim Obermeyer of Marion, Mont., makes his way up Hidden Lake Trail in Glacier National Park, Mont., on Sept. 13, 2013.</p>
BOZEMAN (AP) - One of the most exciting Christmas gifts I received this year was the latest edition of DeLorme's Montana Atlas & Gazetteer.
My old copy, which sits coverless and tattered in the backseat of my truck, led my friends and I on countless adventures across the state. The topographical maps include my annotated notes on productive mushroom grounds, hidden campsites, fishing honey holes and backcountry hot springs.
From the temperate rainforests of Kootenai National Forest to the badlands around Fort Peck, every page of the Montana atlas offers something to explore. Each Forest Service road and tiny blue line on the map represents the possibility of great things, all within the broad and diverse bounds of the Montana landscape.
If you're looking for adventure in the New Year forget the pricey plane tickets and the passports, Montana has got you covered. Here are a few adventures to get you started. May your trails be long and winding.
Explore Montana's newest wilderness
President Barrack Obama recently signed the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act into law. The legislation, which passed Congress as a rider on the National Defense Authorization Act,
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added 105 square miles to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex in northwest Montana.
"The Bob" is a stronghold for grizzly bears and westslope cutthroat trout. Its high peaks form the spine of the Continental Divide. Each summer the huckleberries ripen along the trail, the beargrass blossoms and the landscape comes alive. If you want wild, "The Bob" has it in spades.
Walk the Trail of the Cedarsin Glacier National Park
In the temperate rainforest below the soaring peaks of Glacier National Park, an ancient grove of cedars beckons visitors. Accessible from Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Trail of the Cedars is a 0.6-mile return hike that features a number of natural wonders, most notably towering cedar trees more than 80 feet tall.
The Trail of the Cedars is a paved path with some raised boardwalk sections. For hikers seeking further adventure, the trail splits and leads for 2 miles to picaresque Avalanche Lake.
Visit AmericanPrairie Reserve
The American Prairie Reserve is a large-scale conservation project located north of the Missouri River near Fort Peck Lake. APR's goal is to create the largest wildlife reserve in the lower 48, approximately 3.5 million acres consisting of both public and private lands.
APR aims to protect the prairie ecosystem by creating and managing a wildlife reserve that encourages enjoyment of the prairie landscape while creating lasting economic benefits. The reserve currently consists of 305,000 acres, though visitors should expect an adventure if they choose to visit.
Canoe the Missouri River
The White Cliffs of the Missouri River, located in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument east of Fort Benton, are no less magical today than they were for the Corps of Discovery more than 200 years ago. The band of white stone that defines the cliffs has been eroded in bizarre fashion forming myriad hoodoos, spires and slot canyons along the river.