A glacial valley west of town, in the Custer Gallatin National Forest, with one of the best easy alpine walks in the region. The trail follows the river upstream from the trailhead at the end of West Fork Road, past mountain meadows and beaver ponds, with the granite walls of the Beartooths rising steeply on both sides. The first two miles are flat and pleasant; the trail beyond climbs to Quinnebaugh Meadows (4 miles), Sundance Pass (10 miles, much harder), and on into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.
Moose are common; black bears are sometimes seen at dusk. Trailhead parking is rarely full. The road in is paved for the first six miles, gravel for the last three, and is closed in winter from late November. Useful summer alternative if the Beartooth Highway is too touristy.