This Big Pryor Mountain Ice Cave In Montana Is An Incredible Adventure

While the act of hiking can be a pleasant, heart-pounding experience, it's understandable to prefer a trail that comes with a few visual rewards. There's something special about hiking toward a beautiful view, and luckily, plenty of Montana trails offer just that. The Big Pryor Mountain Ice Cave Trail has a pretty steep climb, but everyone who hikes it will tell you it's well worth the effort.

The Big Pryor Mountain Ice Cave is a 3.6-mile trail located near the small town of Bridger in Carbon County.

While it's a pretty steep climb to the top, the hike isn't extraordinarily challenging, which is why the trail is ranked as moderately difficult.

While the elevation gain starts right away, the beautiful views do as well.

The climb is about 1,600 feet in total.

Most of you trek will be through a thick forest of Douglas fir, which feels nice and peaceful.

The hike is cool, quiet, and secluded - perfect for those days when you just need to get away from it all.

You might spot some wildlife along the way, but it's more likely to be squirrels and grouse than anything else.

That said, black bears have definitely been spotted on the trail, so exercise caution.

The Big Ice Cave is a single chamber of the ice cellar type, with a steep entrance that descends down into a huge chamber.

The cave itself has two openings - one in the traditional entrance, and another that's a more vertical opening (where the ice and snow come in).

The cave acts as a cold trap, as cooler air is heavier than warm air.

In the winter, the cold air flows into the cave, and in the summer, it stays there. This works similarly to refrigerators in stores.

When weather permits, hikers are allowed to enter the cave.

But even if you can't go inside, this is a trail worth taking. The view from the top of the mountain is surreal.

Have you heard of this challenging trail? If it seems a bit too daunting, start with one of these easy hikes.