Belt Creek Gorge And Abandoned Railroad Tunnel

In this panorama, there are two points of interest. The first is the opening view looking down into the gorge where the creek flows. The second is the old railway tunnel cut through a cliff prominence. But, to see the tunnel you will have to rotate the panorama nearly 180 degrees from the view of the gorge. The hiking trail through Belt Creek Canyon follows the old, abandoned rail bed of the Central Montana Railroad. As the river cuts down through the canyon and creates a gorge, the rail bed stays high above the water on a narrow terrace carved from the cliffside. The ambitious rail project required sixteen crossings of Belt Creek. Numerous trestles were also built to cross side canyons along the way. The railroad bridges across the creek are long gone and fording of the creek is required to hike the trail. This portion of Belt Creek flows through Sluice Boxes State Park in central Montana.