The Pryor Mountains south of Billings are famed for being Montana’s only red-rock desert, but the hike to Crooked Creek is a lush surprise. The creek flows through a deep canyon for most of its length, and entering along Wyoming Creek is one of the few access points. As you walk, the canyon narrows and the barren slopes are replaced by lush trees, shrubs, and grasses that shelter underneath towering limestone cliffs.
Photo by Simone Durney
