Billings, Montana to Anaconda, Montana

 We had a quiet night at Yellowstone River Cellars and Winery and headed to Pelican Cafe, an old railside diner for breakfast. We took the interstate across the plains with miles of cattle ranches until the mountains popped up in the distance. We stopped in Anaconda at the Smelter City Brewery and enjoyed the best guacamole and chips from the Anaconda Taco Food Truck on their patio. We then walked over to the Washoe Park and toured the Visitor Center at the Trout Hatchery. We had a short drive to Springhill Campground in Beaverhead-Deelodge National Forest. The campsite under the tall lodgepole pines was spacious with our own resident chipmunks and gophers.

The view from our booth at the railside diner

Landmark Washoe Theatre in Anaconda

City park

Smelter City Brewery

Inside brewery

Great outdoor patio

Brewery gift shop in the old bank building vault

Wondering through Washoe Park

Viewing tank at the fish hatchery

Interesting trout story

Great architecture being restored by park service

The public library in a historical building

Veteran's Park

Our campsite at Springhill Park in National Forest

We had a restful sleep and slept in so that the diner down the road that the camp host told us about last evening would be open.  We enjoyed another great country breakfast across from Georgetown Lake and down from the ski resort. We drove four miles on a narrow dirt road to get to the trailhead to Twin Lakes. We had to pull over to pass and ended up stopping sooner than the trailhead when we found a place to park. We hiked ten miles only passing four other hiking groups and then headed back into town for another Smelter City Brew.

We located the cafe by the rooster out front

We hiked the road to the trailhead

Finally found the trailhead

Big sky Montana and snow-capped mountains

Purple blooms

Precarious rocks

Downhill view

The first Twin Lake

Crossing the creek

Tall lodge pole pines

Abundant blooms

Gorgeous scenery on the entire trail