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>> High above America's heartland, Montana's famous Big Sky spreads
out over the landscape like a giant canopy.
Here, over sprawling planes, rolling hills and massive buttes,
over forests that are threaded here and there by rambling rivers and rushing streams,
an endless ocean of sky remains unblemished, as it has for centuries.
Beneath the Big Sky, lies the wide open land of Central Montana, the spirit of America's West.
It's a land rich in beauty, brimming with history and ripe for adventure, vibrant,
rugged country that stands waiting to be explored.
Once, Native Americans were the only people to live here in the days of the mighty bison.
Later, this region was made famous by cowboy artist Charlie Russell, who captured the West
as it was settled by painting it on his canvas.
Today, a 71 mile stretch of U.S. Highway 89, winds its way across the region,
through the Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Little Belt Mountains.
This is not a super highway, but a road that's off the beaten track, where travelers can slow
down a bit to get a taste of the real West.
This stretch of highway has been designated as one of the nation's scenic byways,
a series of roads chosen by the Forest Service, to help travelers make the most
of their journeys through America's forests.
The National Scenic Byways are some of the most beautiful
and interesting roads our National Forests have to offer.
For folks traveling between Yellowstone National Park in Southern Montana
and Glacier National Park in the North, U.S. Highway 89 provides a delightful route.
Both travelers who are just passing through and those who want to stay a while,
experience some of Montana's finest recreational and historical sites, not to mention a sort
of timeless western living that just doesn't seem to exist in many other places anymore.
Northbound travelers begin in the Smith River Valley at White Sulphur Springs.
To the west, lie the Big Belt Mountains, famous for their gold placer diggings.
And to the east are the Castle Mountains, named for their spectacular granite outcroppings
that resemble the turrets of castles.
Stretching northward, along Sheep Creek, a tributary to the Smith River,
the Kings Hill Scenic Byway spans 30 miles before rising
to Kings Hill Pass in the Little Belt Mountains.
There, the road drops into Belt Creek of the Missouri River country,
as it heads to the junction of U.S. Highway 87, near Belt Montana,
about 25 miles southeast of Great Falls.
It was 1866, when James Scott Brewer decided to follow the traditions of Native Americans living
in the region and visit the healing waters now known as White Sulphur Springs.
Around the hot springs, Brewer established a resort that grew
into bustling western town of miners, loggers and ranchers.
As European immigrants began to establish homesteads in and around White Sulphur Springs,
mining camps that would eventually become towns themselves, sprang up nearby.
Northeast of White Sulphur Springs, the town of Neihart blossomed around lead and silver mines
with names the likes of Fairplay, Frisco and Minnehaha.
First there was a small store, a few churches, several saloons and a livery stable,
but by 1891, Neihart was served by the great northern railroad
and the thriving town had become the home of several thousand people.
About the same time, miners were scouring the hills of the region for minerals,
Congress established the Forest Reserves and eventually the Forest Service.
Today's Lewis and Clark National Forest, through which the Kings Hill Scenic Byway travels,
was established as a reserve in 1898.
Back then, the road was nothing more than a miners trail.
In 1882, White Sulphur Spring's businessmen raised a $1,000 to build a wagon trail
up over the Little Belt Mountains from Neihart into the Smith River Valley.
By the early 1900's, the route was promoted as a logical link between Yellowstone
and Glacier National Parks and Banff in Canada.
On August 21'st, 1921, the route was at last complete.
Today, U.S. Highway 89, brings travelers to a region that holds hints of the old west.
Castle Town is nothing but a ghost town, one of the remnants left behind
by an economy gone boom and bust.
White Sulphur Springs is a modest western town that welcomes visitors, no matter if it's a rush
of hunters passing through in the fall or hikers on their way into the back country.
Visitors enjoy the Castle Museum, a century old landmark full of artifacts, family histories
and photographs from the regions earliest days.
The museum is a perfect place to begin a journey on the Kings Hill Scenic Byway.
Neihart, with its old mining rigs and quaint atmosphere,
is barely over a mile long from end to end.
Its single café, gas station and motel, are nestled in the heart of a forested region.
Finally, there's Monarch, another leftover from the boom and bust days of mining,
Monarch awaits travelers beneath tremendous limestone cliffs from the Little Belt Mountains.
The entire region is sprinkled with historic ranches, many of them still working
and a few run by descendents of families that settled here generations ago.
The old west is here, but so is the new.
About 40 miles of the scenic byway, lie within the boundaries of the Lewis
and Clark National Forests, Kings Hill Ranger District.
Those passing through, quickly become aware that the forest is far more than just trees.
It provides lumber for wood and pulp, forage for sheep, cattle and wildlife,
water for drinking, irrigation and fish.
And on top of all that, the forest offers every conceivable type of outdoor recreation.
Like a century keeping watch over it all,
stands the Porphyry Peak lookout tower near Kings Hill Pass.
This fire lookout is one of a handful in Montana built on stilts.
Staffed by a volunteer, who watches for forest fires during the hottest part of the year,
the lookout is open to visitors between July and September.
Visitors are welcome to stop at the Forest Service Kings Hill Ranger District Office
in White Sulphur Springs or at the Belt Creek information station
about 6 miles north of Neihart.
Forest Service employees who are knowledgeable about the area, provide maps, safety tips
and information about water and Forest Service facilities that are open to travelers.
For overnight campers, the Forest Service maintains 4 fee campgrounds
on this stretch of U.S. Highway 89.
There are also numerous other campsites off the main highway, along well maintained
and marked Forest Service back roads.
Some are developed facilities, others are just pretty spots waiting to be used.
The Forest Service also maintains 2 rental cabins in the area.
The Kings Hill cabin, with sleeping accommodations for 6,
sits several yards off the highway, atop the pass for which it is named.
The thick pine forest, that surrounds this log cabin,
shelters it from any of the highways distractions.
The Calf Creek cabin is more remote, for visitors who want a rustic stay away
from the trappings of the modern world.
It's about 8 miles off the highway, all by itself on a grassy knoll.
Advanced reservations are required for both cabins.
For outdoor enthusiasts, the Kings Hill Ranger District may be one
of Montana's best kept secrets, an unkempt playground with more than 250 miles of trails.
Of course, not every one who passes
over the Kings Hill Scenic Byway recreates in the same way.
Some folks prefer to do their exploring in a vehicle, making a side trip
or 2 to drive along Alpine Parks full of wildflowers.
One of the most popular routes is the divide road, which winds its way
across 46 miles of high alpine meadows.
Weather permitting, fishermen fly their lines hoping for rainbow trout along Sheep Creek
on the Southside of Kings Hill Pass or on Belt Creek to the north.
Two reservoirs outside of White Sulphur Springs, provide year round fishing
for brook, rainbow and cutthroat trout.
Early in the day or just about sunset,
visitors are practically guaranteed a glimpse of wildlife.
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At just under 7,500 feet, Kings Hill Pass is the highest pass
in Montana that's open all year round.
Winter sports fans find a smorgasbord of opportunities.
Down hill skiing, snowmobiling and cross country skiing,
make the Kings Hill Scenic Byway inviting during event the coldest winter months.
Showdown ski area was built on Forest Service land at Kings Hill Pass, over 50 years ago.
Open from December through April, it offers skiers 34 ski runs,
spanning some 1,400 vertical feet.
On either side of the pass, Nordic skiers enjoy 4 different trail systems comprising
about 40 miles of groomed and un-groomed skiing.
The trails vary, some are more difficult than others,
so skiers of any ability find excellent opportunities.
Both the Silver Crest Trail System, about 2 miles north of the pass
and the Ranch Creek Ridge Trail, have warming huts.
And since there's plenty of room for everyone,
snowmobilers access their own trail system off U.S. Highway 89.
More than 100 miles of marked and groomed trails emanate
from a snowmobilers parking lot, located near the pass.
Since winter recreation can be dangerous, all visitors should come prepared for harsh weather.
Bring plenty of food and water, warm clothing and emergency supplies.
Drive along the Kings Hill Scenic Byway and you can't help
but wonder how the landscape came to be.
At the southern portion of the byway, the Castle Mountains dominate the scene.
These mountains formed about 50 million years ago when granite magma forced its way
through overlying sedimentary rocks.
The granite has eroded into craggy pinnacles resembling castle ruins,
for which the Castle Mountains are named.
Moving northward, the road traverses the Little Belt Mountains.
Here, travelers pass by some of the oldest exposed rock on the North American Continent.
This ancient stone known as basement rock, can be seen from the road north of Neihart,
with its pink, grey and black colors, brought on by a mixture of feldspar, quartz and mica.
True to its designation as a scenic byway, the 71 mile stretch of U.S. Highway 89,
offers travelers stunning vistas all year round.
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In the fall, aspen groves tremble with color outside Neihart,
while wide open range lands glisten with gold near White Sulphur Springs.
Mountain wildflowers, stately trees and dew laden grasses,
play their part like instruments in a symphony.
Between the Kings Hill Pass and Neihart, Memorial Creek Falls tumble
over a stair step of quartzite rock.
These falls are only a 1/2 mile off the highway up a gentle, well groomed trail.
Just 10 miles north of Neihart, Belt Creek has cut the rugged Monarch Canyon.
Known as the Belt Creek Sluice Boxes, this stretch of the creek is not only beautiful,
but also a challenging run for experienced kayakers.
Are you one of the travelers from around the world who searches for a place to slow down
and experience America at its roots?
If so, perhaps a drive along the Kings Hill Scenic Byway is for you.
You'll find the land of western painter Charlie Russell alive, well and waiting.
You'll enjoy an outdoor classroom, no matter if you're a history buff or an amateur geologist.
Here in the heartland of Montana, you'll get a taste of Americas West,
find a place for adventure and wonder, visit a land of sprawling ranches and quiet
out of the way forests and streams.
On the Kings Hill Scenic Byway, you'll leave the super highway behind,
if only for a little while.
What better way to experience the wide open country underneath Montana's Big Sky.
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