- Hike
We hiked in three different places in Billings. First, we checked out Norm Schoenthal Island. This “island” is surrounded by a river on all sides. You can access the trail from a bridge at the parking lot. There is a two mile loop around the island, with ample opportunity for your dog to take a dip in the river. Although it is not technically an off-leash trail, the locals primarily use this as an off-leash area and 90% of the dogs you encounter will be off leash. Max made so many new friends and got to both hike and swim. He thoroughly enjoyed Norm’s Island. The second hike we went on was at Lake Elmo State Park. There is a 1.4 mile loop around the lake. This is a very popular spot for SUPs and fishing. People are fishing very close to the path, so make sure your dog doesn’t accidently get hooked! There is also a fenced in dog park located here and there is an optional gate you can open to let your dog wade into the lake for a swim. The only place dogs are not allowed are on the beach. Lastly, Max and I checked out Two Moon Park. Here we did a 1.8 mile loop along the river. Max got to cool off with a swim in the river, which was much needed as there is hardly any shade on this trail. We saw lots of other dogs swimming here, some mountain bikers, and a few teenagers jumping into the river from a rope swing!
2. Eat
For lunch, Max and I went downtown and ate at Spitz, a Mediterranean chain restaurant with a patio. They gave him a water bowl, which I appreciated. The patio is well shaded. Only about two blocks from Spitz is Big Dipper Ice Cream. While they don’t have specific dog ice creams, I did get Max a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a cone that he enjoyed at a table outside. After our next stop (Scheel’s) we stopped at Nekter Juice Bar, where I ordered a smoothie and Max was allowed inside with me.
3. Shop
Being from the east coast, I had never been to a Scheel’s before. I don’t know if they are all like this, but the one in Billings has everything to offer! There is an aquarium, a Ferris wheel, a cafe, and two floors of outdoor and sporting goods. They have everything you could think of. I bought a hat and some gloves for our upcoming autumn hikes and Max picked out some treats in the dog section. He quite enjoyed all the taxidermy wildlife animals in the display enclosure. If I ever happen upon a Scheel’s again, I will definitely stop in. I wanted to buy everything in there and Max had so much fun exploring with me!
