Havre Trails is again partnering with Hays-Lodgepole High School Science Teacher Rod Benson to offer a hike to Hole in the Wall and Mission Ridge in Mission Canyon just outside of Hays, Montana. The hike will take place on Sunday, May 5.
Hike Contact, Lindsey Bennett explained that this event is a fundraiser for Mr. Benson's archery program at Hays-Lodgepole School. Expected to take three-four hours, the hike is 4.8 miles total and will offer views of unique rock formations like Hole in the Wall, as well as a scenic overlook onto the Little Rockies. The first leg of this hike is rated as "moderately difficult." Afterward, there will be an optional hike up Mission Peak, which includes a three-mile drive to a separate trailhead. Predicted to take another ninety minutes, this portion of the hike is rated as "very difficult."
Interested hikers are invited to meet at the Hays-Lodgepole High School parking lot at 10:30 a.m. this Sunday. Bennett offers these directions: "From MT Hwy 66, take the main entrance into Hays. After a mile, turn left onto Lodge Pole Cut Across Road. The high school is a half mile further." Rod Benson will serve as the hike leader.
Bennett further reminds hikers that no dogs are allowed on this hike. She recommends "pants rather than shorts, sturdy boots, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat,
water, snacks/lunch, and a full tank of gas!"
Registration for the Mission Canyon Hike can be found online at forms.gle/TCCrMkWStRsfJPvF6. Anyone with additional questions is encouraged to contact Bennett at 406-344-2991.
Havre Trails has additional hikes forthcoming and invites outdoor enthusiasts to Save the Dates for the following schedule:
• Devil's Chimney (Sweet Grass Hills) – Saturday, June 15
• Sluice Boxes State Park (Belt Area) – Saturday, July 13
• Bullhook Butte Trail (Havre Area) – Sunday, September 8
Although the Mission Canyon hike serves as a fundraiser for the Hays-Lodgepole School's Archery Club and carries a cost of $10/person, all other hikes are free. According to Bennett, the Devil's Chimney hike will have a group limit of twenty and will also require registration.