Charlie Russell Country - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 314

SouthboundfromNeihart, theroadclimbs to7,393-footKingsHillPassandtheShow-
down Ski Area. From Porphyry Lookout atop the ski area (open to motorists in July and
August),anexquisitepanoramatakesintheLittleBeltpeaksand—onaclearday—theAb-
saroka Range to the south. If you can see the steeples of the Absarokas, your gaze extends
some100milestothesouth,nearlytoYellowstoneNationalPark.FromPorphyryLookout
the road makes a rapid descent through evergreen forest to the arid fringe of the Smith
River valley, a rumpled gray-green blanket of sagebrush patchworked with hay meadows
and pastures.
10. White Sulphur Springs
The steaming mineral baths of this mountain-ringed hamlet are just hot enough to soothe
aching muscles (they also supply the heat for the local bank). To the south the Shields
RiverplainopensoutontofarmlandandranchlandsolovelyitluredcircusimpresarioJohn
Ringlingtothearea—hencethenameofthetown20milessouthofWhiteSulphurSprings.
Surrounded by four majestic mountain ranges, Livingston is an eclectic blend of boutiques, museums, galleries, and res-
taurants.
11. Livingston
Established by the Northern Pacific Railroad near the confluence of the Shields and Yel-
lowstone rivers, Livingston was once a brawling trainman's town, home to Martha Jane