North of Plains, the hike up Baldy Mountain offers great views into the Cabinet Mountains and the southern end of the Flathead Valley. The trail that leads to the summit climbs gently, passing wonderfully gnarled old trees and crossing a handful of scree slopes. Baldy Mountain is the tallest peak in the area - it used to be home to a a lookout tower - and the panoramic views from the summit are worth lingering over. Make sure you walk over to the southeast edge to get a look down into the sapphire blue Baldy Lake!
Photo by Cedron Jones
