Warm Springs Ponds Wildlife Management Area

If you’re looking to watch birds or just stretch your legs as you drive along I-90 north of Anaconda, Warm Springs Ponds Wildlife Management Area is a great place to stop. These reclaimed tailings ponds, which were used to collect mining runoff before it reached the Clark Fork River, are a reliable place to spot ducks, sandhill cranes, and other migratory birds. The numerous hiking loops often run along dikes between the ponds, providing amazing views of the Pintlers and Flint Hills, which are especially stunning when they’re capped with early-season snow. Photo by Barbara Geller