Everybody needs to go to Glacier Nationwide Park…like 3 million folks a 12 months. However what many park-goers don’t notice is that the majority of Western Montana was carved by the identical glacial exercise, providing beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers, and forests with a fraction of the vacationers. To assist extra folks uncover the lesser-known gems and maintain them pristine, we drew on our expertise as off-grid RVers with a inexperienced coronary heart and partnered with Glacier Country Tourism for a #RecreateResponsibly Montana street journey.
Over the course of 12 days, we traveled from the Bitterroot Mountains to the far north of Kootenai County, by three nationwide forests, dynamic Native American territories, charming small cities, the most important freshwater lake within the West, and a ton extra in between. Listed here are a few of our favourite Western Montana street journey locations and the methods you possibly can go away these locations higher than you discovered them.
Biking the Route of the Hiawatha
Spanning the Idaho and Montana border, the Route of the Hiawatha is likely one of the crown jewels of the US’s rails-to-trails system. When constructing the railroad line from Chicago to Tacoma within the early Twentieth century, the crew reached the Bitterroot Mountains, and it was the hardest terrain they’d encountered. To create this 15-mile stretch, they bored 10 tunnels (some over a mile lengthy) and constructed 7 trestle bridges towering over the forest. And all that arduous work continues to be paying off with this unbelievable bike path.
To get equipped, we went to Lookout Cross Resort for bike leases and a rack, then drove to the Montana facet to start out the trip. With a delicate downhill pitch and extensive filth path, it’s all about having fun with the sweeping mountain views and engineering marvels lining the best way. To make it even simpler for all ages, Lookout Cross affords a shuttle with a information to entertain you all the best way again to the parking zone. Name us slackers, however the return shuttle allowed us to take our candy time for numerous picture stops, studying the handfuls of interpretive indicators, having fun with a picnic, and climbing up a waterfall. Watch this video from our ride.
🏨 Our recommended lodging near the Hiawatha Bike Trail (basically St. Regis)
💡#RecreateResponsibly Tip: Plan Forward. Carry a raincoat and a headlamp to be prepared for the tunnels.
Catching a County Truthful
From summer season to fall, there are festivals throughout Montana, and we had been simply in time for one of many greatest occasions in Ravalli County. Amusement rides, cornhole tournaments, bake-offs, livestock demonstrations, classic automotive reveals, and a full-blown rodeo…this was a cultural affair decked in cowboy boots. And we could also be metropolis people, however we received in with one of the best of them, chowing down on huckleberry pie and cheering on the wagon races. Along with the rodeo clown, who was our favourite character on the truthful? Smokey Bear. He was representing the Bitterroot Nationwide Forest sales space, providing data on tenting and fireplace security for locals and guests alike. Thanks, Smokey!
🏨 Our recommended lodging near Hamilton
💡#RecreateResponsibly Tip: Know Earlier than You Go. Wildfire season is a really actual factor within the West Examine MTFireInfo.org for the most recent fireplace standing and restrictions.
Kettlehouse Amphitheater
Swinging the cultural pendulum, we went from a county truthful to an indie rock live performance at Montana’s premier music venue. The state-of-the-art Kettlehouse Amphitheater is tucked in a notch of the mountains on the foot of the Blackfoot River (yeah, the one Brad Pitt was fishing in A River Runs By means of It), incomes it a spot as one of many Prime 10 Amphitheaters within the World, in accordance with Pollstar.
Including to the cool issue, it’s adjoining to the Kettlehouse Brewery, and recent craft beer is delivered proper to your live performance seat. We noticed Dying Cab for Cutie and so they had been superior, although it barely issues what band is on the town…the venue is so extraordinary, you’re gonna have an awesome evening.
🏨 Our recommended lodging near Missoula
💡#RecreateResponsibly Tip: At all times Recycle. We love that Kettlehouse Amphitheater was all about minimizing waste with recycling, compost, and cardboard water bottles, although touring in rural areas could make it trickier to maintain up these good habits. In the event you don’t see recycling straight away, stash it in your trunk till you see that service—you’ll discover it will definitely!
Garnet Ghost City
Being the Treasure State, Montana has previous mining cities all all through the mountains, with the best-preserved being Garnet. Taking a flip off the properly paved Route 200 and onto the rugged Garnet Vary Backcountry Byway, we wound by the mountains for 11 miles. Following a brief climbing path right into a valley, we received a view over this 130-year-old time capsule. Not your common ramshackle mining city, Garnet had 4 motels, three livery stables, two barbershops, a union corridor, a college, a sweet store, a health care provider’s workplace, and 13 saloons.
Finally, gold shortage and the 1913 fireplace drove the city into ghost standing, however when Prohibition and the Melancholy hit, their hidden saloons and gold claims received a second wind. We liked wandering by the previous buildings, many with their unique fixtures and relics, and up the hill to the Eighteen Nineties miners’ cabins. Take a half-hour hike alongside the Sierra Mine Loop Path and also you’ll discover previous gold claims tucked within the pines.
🏨 Our recommended lodging near Missoula
💡#RecreateResponsibly Tip: Take solely images. Like every historic website, it’s possible you’ll come throughout little artifacts as you wander about city; go away them behind and assist maintain the story of Garnet in context.
Seeley Lake & The Clearwater Canoe Path
Between the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Mission Mountains lies the Seeley-Swan Valley Chain of Lakes and the ever-popular Clearwater River Canoe Path. We rented SUP boards from Tamaracks Resort, and so they dropped us off on the put-in. Paddling this 3.5-mile meandering waterway by the willow marsh with mountain views on all sides was wonderful. Once we reached the river’s finish, we had been greeted with a floating backyard of lily pads and a seashore to benefit from the expansive Seeley Lake.
Conveniently, there’s a half-hour climbing path to attach again to the put-in spot; if you happen to lease from Tamaracks, simply maintain paddling for 20 minutes to succeed in their lakefront property. FYI, this historic resort is a charmer with nice cabins and campsites if you wish to keep awhile and absorb the lake life. One other nice lodging and eating choice is Double Arrow Lodge. We went to their Thirties log cabin restaurant for dinner and indulged in truffle root-vegetable risotto and Grand Marnier chocolate mousse cake. We earned it with that paddling journey, proper?
Climbing Holland Lake & Falls
On the north facet of Seeley-Swan Valley is one in every of our favourite hikes in Montana: Holland Falls Nature Path. With only a fast stroll by the tamarack and alpine forest, you attain the turquoise Holland Lake surrounded by sheer peaks. It was so attractive we might have known as it there, however as we adopted the shoreline, the views saved getting higher as we steadily climbed to the 40-foot waterfall. In the event you’re up for a little bit of rock scrambling (not beneficial for teenagers), a steep path will convey you from the underside of the falls to a wide ranging view over the lake.
🏨 Our recommended lodging near Holland Lake
💡#RecreateResponsibly Tip: Brush it Off. Firstly of this trailhead, the Forest Service gives a boot brush. Wipe off your footwear earlier than and after the hike to stop the seeds and spores of invasive species from spreading. Whereas not each path affords this, it’s nonetheless an awesome observe to brush off your footwear or clap your footwear collectively when getting into and leaving new wilderness areas.
Flathead Lake
Do you know Montana’s Flathead Lake is the biggest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi? The 185 miles of shoreline are dotted with cute cities, orchards, state parks, and fatherland. We drove the complete circumference, going counterclockwise, ranging from Huge Fork. This city was lovely, with an awesome little theater, artwork galleries, ice cream outlets, and bars the place you possibly can hitch up your horse.
Driving down the east facet of the lake, the slopes had been coated with fruit timber. We stopped at Bowman Orchards, a century-old, fifth-generation household farm specializing in Rainier and Lapin cherries. The entire household, from the youngsters to the grandparents, was at work wrapping up an awesome season. In the event you’re an RVer and a Harvest Host Member, each Bowman Orchards and East Shore Smokehouse (a enjoyable restaurant with a giant grassy subject) will allow you to keep the evening in change for getting a few of their goodies. Win, win!
Flathead’s Wild Horse Island & Camp Kapapa
Cruising up the west facet of the lake, we had our eyes set on Flathead’s largest island, Wild Horse. This 2,160-acre mountainous expanse is the place the Kootenai folks traditionally hid their horses from warring tribes and the place their equine ancestors nonetheless roam free. Solely accessible by boat, this state park requires a kayak and climbing journey! We set off from the city of Dayton and, after a scenic hour-long paddle, reached Skeeko Bay and its intensive community of trails.
We hiked up the mountain, retaining a watch out for his or her resident wild horses, bighorn sheep, mule deer, and relics from the early Twentieth-century settlers. We reached the height for panoramic views of the encircling islands, mountains, and lake, then meandered our approach all the way down to Eagle Cove to complete out this incredible climbing loop. After a giant day of outside journey, we wished to deal with ourselves to an evening at Camp Kapapa, a model new glamping camp on the Flathead Reservation.
This property has been in Keya Birdsbill’s household for generations, and it was at all times her grandmother’s dream to share the land in its pure state and with its Kootenai traditions. This summer season, Keya and her husband, Louie, opened Camp Kapapa (which implies “grandparent” within the Kootenai language) in her honor. Proper alongside the shore, they’ve teepees, a wall tent, deluxe tent websites, and a one-of-a-kind teepee cabin, every adorned with tribal motifs and providing lake views. We completely fell in love with this glamping camp; to see extra of it, try our Camp Kapapa Instagram gallery.
🏨 Our recommended lodging near Kalispel
💡#RecreateResponsibly Tip: Respect Wildlife. Whether or not on Wild Horse Island or in Glacier Nationwide Park, Montana is chock-full of wildlife. As tempting as it’s to get shut for a very good picture, maintain your distance and don’t disturb them. Be notably conscious of bears and follow these safety tips.
The Northwest Hall: Eureka
Heading into the Northwest Hall in the direction of the Canadian border, the wilderness will get wilder, and the small cities get smaller. Steamboats and railways had been the one methods to succeed in the glacial and gold-rich hills of the Tobacco River Valley till the early 1900s, and it nonetheless feels simply as distant. For a glance into the previous, we went to Eureka’s Tobacco Valley Historic Village to discover its assortment of hand-hewn buildings, from previous cabins to church buildings to schoolhouses.
Although exploring the principle road of modern-day Eureka was an entire lot extra modern than we might have imagined, with cool boutiques, espresso outlets, a movie show, and even a world-fusion, vegan-friendly cafe, including to the sudden, Montana’s #1 golf course, The Wilderness Club, is on this city!
🏨 Our recommended lodging in Eureka
Tobacco River & Campground Cleanup
Simply six miles west of Eureka within the Kootenai Nationwide Forest, there’s the unbelievable (and free!) Tobacco River Campground. We noticed a hearth ring proper alongside the water and shortly arrange camp to benefit from the final moments of sundown, watch the ospreys fish, and cook dinner dinner over the hearth. (Watch our fire safety TikTok.) Within the morning, the wildlife watching continued like an episode out of the Discovery Channel.
Gliding herons, dive-bombing eagles, wave-riding geese, and spawning Kokanee salmon had been all placing on an incredible present. As we had been breaking down camp, we noticed two Forest Service volunteers making the rounds with their trash luggage, so we requested if we might be a part of their clean-up. They had been so grateful for the assistance that they turned it right into a nature stroll, instructing us concerning the native edible berries, medicinal vegetation, invasive species, and animal tracks…then gifted us a home made jar of huckleberry jam!
💡#RecreateResponsibly Tip: Go away it Higher Than You Discovered It. Everytime you’re at a campsite or on the path, do your half to maintain it clear. We prefer to hike with a trash bag and pinchers so we by no means should suppose twice about selecting issues up.
Libby & The Chainsaw Carving Championships
Taking the Koocanusa Scenic Byway alongside its namesake lake and into the Cupboard Mountains, we reached the spunky little metropolis of Libby. As a former asbestos mining city, it had a foul rap for some time, however Libby is reinventing itself as an journey and cultural capital of the Northwest Hall. It usually hosts occasions just like the Riverfront Blues Pageant, Libby Logger Days, the Irish Truthful, and the unbelievable Kootenai Country International Chainsaw Carving Championship.
We had the nice fortune of seeing the “Conflict of the Carvers” and watching twenty of the world’s finest, from Zimbabwe, Mongolia, Russia, Canada, the USA, and extra, face off. They get an eight-foot log and 4 days to show it right into a masterpiece, plus the added problem of day by day 90-minute fast carves for the continued public sale. Even after simply at some point of strolling by the open-air workshops, we had been amazed at how a lot the art work had developed. From sawing to chiseling, sanding, torching, and marking, these works had been shortly refined to perfection. The evening earlier than the finals, the city went wild, and we went with them.
Alongside our new Montana buddy and former carver, Gary, we bar-hopped from the Cupboard Mountain Brewery (aka The Dwelling Room of Libby) to the Mint, the place beers are nonetheless saved chilly in picket ice chests. The subsequent day, all of the masterworks had been lined up and auctioned off amid a storm of bidders, driving costs to nicely over $10,000. Watch the video above to see the sawdust fly and the nice occasions rip.
🏨 Our recommended lodging in Libby
Kootenai Falls & Swinging Bridge
Seven miles west of Libby, when the cliffs alongside the freeway flip right into a rainbow of colours and the river rages, you’ve reached Kootenai Falls. This cascade is likely one of the largest free-flowing waterfalls within the northwest, nevertheless it’s not the peak or width that makes your jaw drop; it’s all the pieces else. 1.5 billion-year-old rocks create a staircase for these falls to swiftly and gracefully step down the Kootenai River, then swoop round islands and down a craggy, slim canyon.
We walked the quick nature path to the water and thought the primary lookout was the view of views, however new waterfalls and islands saved showing all the best way to the principle cascade. No crowding onto a viewing platform, you possibly can stroll proper as much as the falls, sit on the edge, and really feel the complete rush. Head downstream and also you’ll attain the swinging bridge for one final take a look at arguably one of many prettiest waterfalls within the States.
Ross Creek Cedars & Giving Again
On our final day in Western Montana, we received up early to discover Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Space. Apparently, we received there even earlier than the rangers, as a result of an enormous fallen tree blocked the street. Did we flip round? Heck no, Buddy comes packing with 102 horsepower, a hatchet, and a rope! We knew you wouldn’t consider our 1985 camper might haul 4,000+ kilos of timber, so Anne shot this video of Buddy’s glory moment.
We cleared the street for all and pressed on to the traditional grove of 1,000-year-old timber. Strolling the mile-long loop, we craned our necks to search for on the lush cover 175 ft above us. On our approach out, we observed a field that stated this grove is maintained by the Three Rivers Ranger District, with the assistance of customer donations. Having simply hiked, paddled, and camped in so many unbelievable public lands round Montana, we had been moved to slide in a $100 invoice.
#RecreateResponsibly Tip: Pitch In. It takes greater than authorities staff to maintain public lands thriving. Donate, volunteer, and advocate for the outside each time you possibly can.
The rugged fantastic thing about Western Montana is what attracts thousands and thousands of individuals right here. We hope you go to, take an epic street journey, and turn into a steward of its wild locations. For extra of our
A giant thanks to Glacier Country, Montana, for inviting us to share the #RecreateResponsibly message with vacationers for sponsoring our Western Montana street journey, and for that includes our “How to Boondock Like a Pro: The Glacier Country Guide to Free Camping” on GlacierMT.com. As a thank-you to the area and to maintain up our “Bloggers Give Again” dedication, we’re donating $325 from our earnings to the next non-profits: Clark Fork Coalition, The Ross Creek Cedars, and RecreateResponsibly.org.
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