Autumn glory in the Sluice Boxes State Park

Paris Gibson students play in the canyon

Must of done something right.  The kids are smiling going up hill.

Group photo in old train tunnel

Tuesday must have been the high point of autumn in northcentral Montana.
The trees and ground cover were in golden glory, highlighted in reds and oranges. The sky was a deep, clear (fire free) blue, and temperatures warmed progressively throughout the day to near 70 degrees.
What better than a quick trip to the Sluice Boxes State Park, a half-hour from Great Falls?
Luckily for me, the trip had been planned weeks ago by teachers from Paris Gibson Learning Center, the Great Falls alternative high school.
The goal was to take students in the tourism class down the Sluice Boxes to see one of the great local tourist attractions.
The park couldn’t have been more attractive.
We went to the creek just beyond the railroad tunnel, about a 6 mile round trip.
The kids seemed to gain strength and enthusiasm with each step.
We started from the high entrance and stopped just short of where the major crossings on Belt Creek began, just beyond the scenic railroad tunnel.
I’m delighted that the trip came off without a hitch. The kids seemed happy, and they learned about a historic and scenic area treasure.