Bozeman, Montana

<p>I'll be in Bozeman, Glacier NP and Yellowstone in June. Any tips special vantage points from which to take photos. Thanks for your suggestions. Will be driving from Bozeman to Great Falls, Choteau, Many Glaciers, across Hiway2Sun, Kalispell, Helena, West Yellowstone, Teton NP and back to Bozeman. </p>

<p>In Bozeman, I would recommend driving up Hyalite Canyon south of town and take a hike up either the east or west forks of Hyalite Creek. The west fork is waterfall rich. In the area and about an hour or so east of town is Big Timber. Take the road toward Harlowton (US 191) and about 10 miles north of Big Timber on the left you'll see a sign for Big Timber Creek Canyon (I think that's how it's phrased, been a couple of years and they changed the sign recently). This is a beautiful hike into a lake filled glacial cirque in the Crazy Mountains. </p>

<p>For a shorter trip, the hike up the M trail a couple of miles north of town on MT 86 has a good view of the valley. If the weather is clear you can see all the way to the continental divide about 50 miles away.</p>

<p>Have fun in my fair city.</p>

<p>West Yellowstone - I recommend you look into a facility called the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. It has pens with excellent viewing positions to see captive grizzlies (typically 2 at a time in the pen) and wolves (2 pens, one pack in each). While the animals are captive, they are not caged and are left to roam within the pens and exhibit the kind of behavior you see in the wild. It's a chance to see and photograph them at distances that one can't realistically hope for in the wild.</p>

<p>Yellowstone - too much to relate here. Lamar Valley is really nice around sunrise, and if you climb the hill overlooking Old Faithful in mid-morning, you may be able to get the eruption with a striking rainbow in the geyser's stream.</p>

<p>Grand Prizmatic Spring has the most amazing colors, but is difficult to see and photograph from the boardwalks around the spring. There's a hill on the far side of the spring that's not accessible from the boardwalks. A bit up the road towards Old Faithful there's a trail that winds its way around the far side of the hill that runs along the back of the spring, and you can climb that hill to a position overlooking the spring - it's even a good shot at mid-day.</p>

<p>Anywhere in the Tetons/Jackson Hole is a good location. Look for black bears feeding in the morning along the Moose-Wilson Road, and for moose feeding along the Snake River's edge at Moose Junction.</p>

<p>School will be out, so the parks will be busy, and get really crowded on weekends. If you have the flexibility, hitting the parks on weekdays and the outlier locations on the weekends should be to your advantage.</p>

<p>I spent a few days in the area north of Yellowstone in October. It wasn't as interesting as I'd hoped and I hope you get great light for there's enough in the landscape to make it interesting if there is. There's lots of disused grain elevators, and quite a lot of abandoned stuff if you like that sort of thing. We drove to Great Falls via Big Timber/Harlowtown/Hobson and I did get a few shots along the way, helped by the fact that the snow was starting. There wasn't much in the way of falls at Great Falls when we were there and a lot of electricity generation - in fact Great Falls wasn't much fun at all , and don't eat at Eddie's.</p>

<p>But there is one specific I might suggest, and thats off the 540 a few miles south of Livingston- a side-road that parallels the 89 . In late summer last year a fire, accidentally started, jumped the 540 at Pine Creek and raced up the mountains to the east. I spent an hour or two photographing and commiserating with farmers who explained that their vistas would be changed for the rest of their lives. You can approach quite a lot closer on side roads off the 540. </p>

<p>We found Butte to be the most interesting town in the area, and also like Bannack, a ghost town a fairly fast drive west of the 15 near Dillon.</p><div></div>

<p>John, Bob & David,<br>

This is really good stuff, exactly the type of info I was looking for. Thx very much. GJ</p>

<p>On the lighter side, be sure to visit Windmill Village Bakery in Ravalli, outside Missoula, if you head that way from Kalispell. They make the best donuts you will ever eat and it's worth the trip out of your way. South of Glacier take in the Mission Mountains. The area is on a Reservation, so you'll need to purchase a permit. That can be done at gun/tackle stores. The hike up to Elizabeth Falls and Lake Lucifer is strenuous, but worthwhile. North Crow Falls is easier to get to with nice access to water shots. The entire valley from Kalispell south to Missoula is very scenic. Don't forget the iconic barn in Ronan and the National Bison Range. The drive on the south side of Glacier is really nice in case Hwy2Sun is closed. The posted 75mph limit will help you get around quickly. Have a great trip.</p>