For our first full day in Montana we decided a dip in a nice cool lake would be the perfect cure for the road-lag of driving 1,000 miles in 24 hours. Luckily we knew the secret of Cliff and Wade Lake! After turning off the main highway and crossing Three Dollar Bridge, a popular fishing spot on the Madison River,  you follow a winding dirt road through cattle land for 7 miles. The cattle fields quickly turn into tree covered peaks and as you turn around the corner of the mountain tops two beautiful crystal clear lakes appear surrounded on all shores with pristine forests. The lakes sit on top of a geological fault which formed and filled with water to create the spring fed lakes.  The sight of the water from above is breathtaking, the color of the water are shades of blue, green, and aqua unlike anything we have seen before!

The weather was a little dreary when we first arrived so we opted to go for a hike first. Our campsite down on the Madison river was hot, dry, and windy. As we started on the trail up at the lakes, we were instantly transported to a lush, pacific northwest-like forest. We climbed up the banks of the lake and found a small trail that led to a quieter corner of the lake. As the lakes sit in the valley between mountain peaks the terrain was perfect for climbing, crawling and sliding. I love taking “A” on different kinds of terrains as they provide the perfect opportunity to practice risk taking and gauging safety in new environments. On one particularly steep section she paused for a moment at the top and you could watch her little mind weighing the risks and ultimately deciding sliding on her bottom was the best choice.

Along the trail we spotted Common Red Paintbrush wildflowers and stopped to feel the soft fuzz of the towering pine trees. What a wonderful sensory experience this hike was.

Just as we reached the perfect overlook, the sun peaked out from between the clouds and the color of lake was magnified into the most beautiful aquamarine. We could resist it no longer!

We dipped our toes in the icy water and immediately felt renewed! The clear water and pebbled lined bottom was perfect for a impromptu rainbow rock search. “A” carried her little purple bucket collecting and sorting rocks of all colors.

All too soon, another mountain rain shower moved in and we packed back into the wagon and headed down to camp. There was a beautiful campground near the shores of this lake that we will be looking into for our next trip, what a wonderful place to spend a few days getting lost in tranquility!

To learn more about Cliff and Wade Lakes and lodging opportunities in the area visit www.visitmt.com/listings/general/lake/cliff-and-wade-lakes.html