Montana’s Tobacco Root Mountains have been discovered, for good reason. They are centrally located, full of public campgrounds, trails and four-wheel drive roads, and some fish-filled lakes. Over the Labor Day weekend, I was able to hike to three different lakes – a different one each day, by setting up a basecamp near a trailhead on the upper end of the South Boulder River. Louise, Lost Cabin and Sailor lakes are all stocked with trout and are relatively short hikes. Lost Cabin is the farthest, at about 4 miles one way. Sailor Lake can be reached by four-wheel drive vehicles. My stories on the lakes stirred up some controversy over whether we in the media should highlight places to go. As Montana has become more crowded, locals are understandably upset they now have to share their cherished spots with more people. Some of these newbies, unfortunately, leave behind messes or lack backcountry etiquette. But these are also public lands, open not only to locals but also those from out of state and out of the country. To learn more about the lakes, check out my stories at billingsgazette.com/outdoors. Feel free to email me with your thoughts on the issue of publicizing outdoor locations.

Written by Brett French | Outdoors Editor of Billings Gazette Communications