Tom, who maintains the excellent “Out There With Tom” blog, has a pretty nifty overview of a day-trip to Sluice Box State Park. It’s only ~30 miles from Great Falls, it’s a relatively easy hike, and offers some nice scenery. I haven’t had the pleasure of hiking here in Montana yet, but Tom’s post has convinced me to give it a shot by starting with Sluice Boxes. Any of you folks been out that way and have a story to tell, or pictures to share?
The Sluice Boxes are pretty, but to get the true grandeur of Montana, you must go West, young man, to the Front Range!
I know, GeeGuy — but I have to dip my toe in the water first — small steps, small steps!
We floated the Sluice Boxes last summer. We went pretty far up the river to make a day float out of it. The water was freezing when we started but by the time you get closer to the Boxes, it was much warmer. There are a bunch of little rapids you shoot thru that are lots of fun. I wouldn’t suggest a large raft. Some areas you have to squeeze thru are pretty small and some areas really shallow. I wouldn’t take anything that shouldn’t get wet. I think everyone except myself got dumped off their tubes during the little rapids. If you can handle the cold water in the beggining, it would be well worth the trip.