Route: Gallatin Crest Trail (MT)

This is an incredible route within an hour from Bozeman, MT. Easy car shuttle, EPIC scenery, and an undulating grade of trail that is either defined or nearly a choose your own adventure. The general direction is obvious, it traverses the spine of the Gallatin Range with unbelievable views, ridge walks, and a variety of terrain. Also mountain goats. Lots of mountain goats. Very few people seem to know about this trail, but it should definitely be on any avid hiker or backpacker's bucket list with views that smash anything Yellowstone (an hour away) has to offer and rivals anything on the entire 3,100 mile Continental Divide Trail. A hidden gem. The main concerns are water is scarce (the whole hike is on the Gallatin Mountain Crest) and the exposure if storms or weather roll in. The trail is runnable, but by any ultrarunner's standards, most of it is quite technical.