Statistics: 6.5 miles roundtrip, ascent 1200′
Beehive Basin’s trailhead is up Gallatin Canyon, about 52 miles south of Bozeman, and just a few miles from the Big Sky Ski Resort. This hike is well worth the drive as it sports beautiful mountain meadows, far-reaching vistas, a mountain lake, and majestic, 10,000′ mountain peaks. For the most part, the route to Beehive Basin is a steady uphill climb, rewarding the climbers with a downhill walk on the return. As we ascended toward the Basin, there was plenty to keep our minds off of tired legs; we were too busy enjoying the mountain scenery. A look back revealed the impressive Lone Peak in the distance, a centerpiece of the Big Sky Ski Resort.
The trail eased up a bit when we first viewed Beehive Basin and the Spanish Peaks surrounding it.
A sign identified this area as the Lee Metcalf Spanish Peaks Wilderness.
Panda was generally ahead of us, scouting the trail.
The steepest ascents were just before we reached the basin. At the top of this climb, it was a welcome sight to see that we were almost there.
The climb was well worth it! The view from the top!
Blaze Mountain, Gallatin Peak, and Mount Chipperfield were three of the mountains surrounding this cirque. The glaciers that created the cirque also left behind this lovely meadow and lake (and most other meadows and lakes in the region).
Although it was the beginning of September, we were still treated to wildflowers.
We continued on beyond the meadow to gain enough height to take in the view.
The lake almost appeared as an “infinity” lake when viewed from the proper perspective.
On the return trip, Lone Peak was very evident.
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