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Must See the Natural Bridge Falls near Big Timber, Montana

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Must See the Natural Bridge Falls near Big Timber, Montana


Nature is my church, and I keep the Sabbath holy.

After a long week with a July 4th holiday, I treated myself to a road trip and hike to the Natural Bridge Falls on the Boulder River south of Big Timber.

While the actual rushing water and gorge and forest were all natural, the trailheads and lookouts have been developed to a Tolkien Elvish pristine.  You wonder if Gandalf the wizard or a Hobbit would appear.  The paved paths were edged with stacked rocks.  A wooden bridge spanned the Boulder to the other side where the dirt path began.

Credit: Travis Lee, TSM

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Credit: Travis Lee, TSM

The river itself crashed underneath then falls into the rock.  A short way’s farther shows the water cascading into a level basin for less than a hundred yards before the continued falling down the gorge.

The beginning dirt trail is quite gentle and easily traversed by kids.  The green foliage can make the track really narrow.  The morning air in the sunshine has a warm pine and earth smell, while the shade is appreciably cooler.

There is a Canyon Bottom Access trail to get where the river pours out of the rock, but that is the real challenge.  Have a walking stick handy.  This switchback trail is much steeper and rockier, and if a little muddy is much trickier.  A real strain on the knees.  The signs say Do Not Cut Across Switchbacks and they mean it; the slope down is steeper than 45 degrees with rocks at the long bottom.  A slip and fall will definitely hurt you.

Credit: Travis Lee, TSM

Credit: Travis Lee, TSM

Take your time and pick your way down carefully, and you can get to about 25 yards from the falls safely.  The roar of water fills the air.

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If you can’t risk the Canyon Access trail, no loss; the overhang lookouts provide all the majesty on gentle paths and stone stairs on top of the gorge ridge.

How to Get to Natural Bridge Falls

Exit the interstate at Big Timber, cruise 1st Street to McLeod which is also Highway 289. Turn south and follow it all the way to the pavement’s end.  Do not turn off of the road at all.

289 is a narrow, winding, 2-lane road so slow down and enjoy the drive.  You will pass farms and modern homesteads in a sweeping basin of countryside.  There are a couple bumpy patches of highway with warning signs, so both hands on the wheel.

Watch for the signs that verify you are on the right road.  The Natural Falls trailhead will be to the left just before the pavement end.  If you start driving on gravel, you have gone just a bit too far.

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It’s a little over an hour and a half to drive there from Billings, but it is a great expedition for the day.  Enjoy in the little Adventure.

Credit: Travis Lee, TSM

Credit: Travis Lee, TSM

Where’s Waldo Time! Can you spot the rock climber in this picture? Credit: Travis Lee, TSM

Where’s Waldo Time! Can you spot the rock climber in this picture? Credit: Travis Lee, TSM

The Most Magical Places to Visit in Montana

Want to make the most of your Montana vacation? These magical destinations are a must-visit!

Gallery Credit: jessejames

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10 Hidden Gem Towns In Montana You Need To See According To AI

We asked Chat GPT “What cities in Montana are considered hidden gems that a first time visitor to the state should make sure to visit” here are the results.

Gallery Credit: Nick Northern





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From Poachers to Public Auction: Montana’s Wildest Garage Sale Returns

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From Poachers to Public Auction: Montana’s Wildest Garage Sale Returns


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Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for May 30, 2026

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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 30, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 30 drawing

01-27-35-44-52, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Lotto America numbers from May 30 drawing

05-08-09-11-15, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 05

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 30 drawing

15-18-22-27, Bonus: 14

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 30 drawing

04-27-65-66-69, Powerball: 04

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Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from May 30 drawing

17-19-23-32-38

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 30 drawing

05-14-22-28-30, Bonus: 01

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
  • Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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ICE sued over “inhumane” conditions at Camp East Montana

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ICE sued over “inhumane” conditions at Camp East Montana

Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our AI policy, and give us feedback.

A group of legal and civil rights organizations late Friday sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over conditions at Camp East Montana in El Paso, the country’s largest immigration detention facility.

“Camp East Montana is nothing short of a civil rights catastrophe,” Kyle Virgien, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project, said in a statement. “We’re suing to ensure that no other human being has to endure the inhumane treatment that the Trump administration has inflicted on our clients.”

The Texas Tribune has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

Filed by the ACLU of Texas, the ACLU, the Texas Civil Rights Project and law firm Farella Braun + Martel, the federal lawsuit comes less than a year after the opening of the sprawling tent camp.

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In that time, the facility has seen at least three detainee deaths, a measles outbreak and nearly 50 detention standards violations as reported by ICE’s own inspectors, prompting calls for the camp’s closure from immigrant advocates and Democratic lawmakers.

The civil rights groups behind the lawsuit also alleged in a December letter that detained immigrants were subject to medical neglect, physical and sexual abuse by officers, insufficient food and denial of meaningful access to attorneys. In March, ICE switched out the facility’s prime operator for a more experienced contractor, saying the agency would “work closely with them” to improve services, including higher standards of medical care. Still, in a subsequent letter to ICE dated May 22, the groups said the situation “continued to deteriorate” and outlined additional complaints such as hazardous dust exposure.

Friday’s lawsuit argues that conditions at the facility are “unconstitutional punishment” and violate detainees’ due process rights under the Fifth Amendment. 

“These conditions are longstanding, pervasive, and well documented, and Defendants’ continued inaction in the face of known risks shows their deliberate indifference — not mere negligence — to detainees’ constitutional rights,” the lawsuit said.

The petition, filed on behalf of four detainees, is also seeking approval to proceed as a class action to cover all those who are currently or will be detained in Camp East Montana.

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One of the plaintiffs is Gerald Akari Angye, a detained immigrant who called the conditions at the camp “inhumane and cruel.”

Prior to this lawsuit, the 35-year-old man had filed a petition in January seeking release from ICE detention. According to the filing, Angye was a high school teacher in Cameroon but fled after being kidnapped and tortured amid a separatist conflict. He sought asylum after crossing through a New Mexico port of entry in December 2024. An immigration judge later denied his application, and Angye appealed.

In a statement provided by the civil rights groups, Angye said he had been beaten at Camp East Montana and never thought he would face “such severely violent treatments” in the United States. He was also placed in solitary confinement for 15 days, according to the lawsuit.

“No one deserves such cruel treatment,” he said. “We are all humans and deserve to be treated like it.”

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar said in a statement to the Tribune that she is grateful for the legal fight. A leading critic of Camp East Montana, the El Paso Democrat called the facility “a purgatory for human beings held there.” She also vowed to continue her oversight visits and demand for the tent camp’s permanent closure.

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Camp East Montana, first opened in August 2025, is located on Fort Bliss U.S. Army base.

Expected to ultimately reach a 5,000-bed capacity, the camp had a daily average of more than 2,500 detainees as of April 2, according to the most recent public data from ICE. The facility has also held the largest number of detained immigrants thus far in fiscal year 2026, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University found.

“Camp East Montana is at the epicenter of the administration’s cruel deportation agenda,” Savannah Kumar, staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement. 

Disclosure: ACLU Texas has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.



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