West Goat Peak

West Goat Peak (10,793') is the highpoint of the Anaconda Range (or "Pintlers") just north of the Big Hole Valley in southwest Montana. It's a challenging hike that climbs almost 4,500' of elevation over about seven miles. Luckily the elevation gain is spread out nicely throughout the hike but the trail can be hard to follow at times and is quite tedious for the first five miles which are spent in the trees. The Lost Lakes basin makes it all worth it in the end and it's a relatively simple scramble from there to the summit. West Goat's neighbor, East Goat Peak (10,390'), could be easily incorporated into the hike if you're hungry for more. Getting to the trailhead is a little complicated but the roads are in decent shape and there's some area to camp near the trailhead.