Day hikes around Missoula, Montana : including the Bitterroots and the Seeley-Swan Valley

274 Pages·2013·17.688 MB·English

by  Robert Stone

DAY HIKES AROUND
Missoula
M O N T A N A
IncludIng the BItterroots
and the seeley–swan Valley
Robert Stone
4th EDITION
Day Hike Books, Inc.
red lodge, montana
Published by Day Hike Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 865 • Red Lodge, Montana 59068
www.dayhikebooks.com
Distributed by National Book Network
800-462-6420
Cover photograph by Nelson Kenter
kenterphotography.com
Back cover photograph by Robert Stone
Layout and maps by Paula Doherty
The author has made every attempt to provide accurate information
in this book. However, trail routes and features may change—
please use common sense and forethought, and be mindful of your
own capabilities. Let this book guide you, but be aware that each
hiker assumes responsibility for their own safety. The author and
publisher do not assume any responsibility for loss, damage, or
injury caused through the use of this book.
Copyright © 201 3 by Day Hike Books, Inc.
4th Edition
ISBN: 978-1 -57342-066-2
eISBN: 978-1 -57342-035-8
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011920362
Cover photo:
Clark Fork River
Back cover photo:
Lake Como
also by robert stone
Day Hikes In Yellowstone National Park
Day Hikes In Grand Teton National Park
Day Hikes In the Beartooth Mountains
Day Hikes Around Bozeman, Montana
Day Hikes Around Missoula, Montana
Day Hikes In Yosemite National Park
Day Hikes In Sequoia & Kings Canyon Nat’l. Parks
Day Hikes On the California Central Coast
Day Hikes On the California Southern Coast
Day Hikes Around Sonoma County
Day Hikes Around Napa Valley
Day Hikes Around Big Sur
Day Hikes Around Monterey and Carmel
Day Hikes In San Luis Obispo County, California
Day Hikes Around Santa Barbara
Day Hikes In the Santa Monica Mountains
Day Hikes Around Ventura County
Day Hikes Around Los Angeles
Day Hikes Around Orange County
Day Hikes In Sedona, Arizona

Table of Contents
Hiking Missoula .............................................................................................................1 1
map of the hikes ........................................................................................................1 4
THE HIKES
Northeast Missoula
Rattlesnake National Recreation Area
(including the Sawmill–Curry Trail System)
northeast missoula map (hikes 1 –21 ) ......................................................................1 6
1 . Boulder Point and Boulder Lake ................................................................................1 8
2. West Fork Gold Creek Trail
to Primm Lake and Rattlesnake Creek ....................................................................21
3 . Main Rattlesnake Corridor ..........................................................................................24
4. Basic Rattlesnake Loop .................................................................................................28
5. Stuart Peak Trail: Spring Gulch Loop .....................................................................30
6. Curry Gulch Trail to Curry Cabin ...............................................................................32
7. Lower Sawmill Gulch Loop .........................................................................................35
8. Upper Sawmill Gulch Loop to Overlook ............................................................37
9. Ravine Trail to Overlook ...............................................................................................38
1 0. Woods Gulch: Sheep Mountain Trail ....................................................................40
Mount Jumbo Recreation Area
East Missoula
lower rattlesnake Valley (hikes 1 1 –21 ) ..........................................................44
1 1 . Saddle Trail ..........................................................................................................................46
1 2. North Loop Trail ...............................................................................................................48
1 3. L Trail ......................................................................................................................................50
1 4. Mount Jumbo Traverse in Hellgate Canyon .......................................................51
1 5. Canyon River Trail .............................................................................................................54
North Hills • Rattlesnake Valley
1 6. Upper Rattlesnake Greenway ...................................................................................56
1 7. Lower Rattlesnake Greenway ...................................................................................58
1 8. North Hills: Rattlesnake Greenway Loop
North Hills Open Space ...............................................................................................60
1 9. Waterworks Hill–Randolph Hill–Cherry Gulch Loop
North Hills Open Space ...............................................................................................63
20. Moon–Randolph Homestead
from the Orange Avenue Trailhead ........................................................................66
21 . Greenough Park: Bolle Birdwatching Trail ...........................................................68
Missoula
City of Missoula • Mount Sentinel
Pattee Canyon Recreation Area • South Hills
missoula map (hikes 22–36) ............................................................................................70
22. Clark Fork River Trail in Hellgate Canyon: Ben Hughes Park ......................72
23. Tower Street Open Space along the Clark Fork River ...............................74
24. Kelly Island ...........................................................................................................................76
25. Clark Fork Northside Riverfront Trail:
Orange Street Bridge to Van Buren Street Pedestrian Bridge .................78
Downtown missoula map .....................................................................................................78
26. Clark Fork Southside Riverfront Trail:
McCormick Park to University of Montana ........................................................82
27. Kim Williams Nature Trail ...............................................................................................83
28. Hellgate Canyon–Mount Sentinel Loop .............................................................84
29. M Trail .....................................................................................................................................88
30. Mount Sentinel Loop: Mount Sentinel Fire Road to the M ......................90
31 . Crooked Trail–Pengelly Ridge Trail Loop...........................................................92
32. Crazy Canyon Trail to Mount Sentinel
Pattee Canyon Recreation Area ..............................................................................96
33. Northside Trails: Meadow Loop Trail
Pattee Canyon Recreation Area ..............................................................................98
34. Sam Braxton National Recreation Trail
Pattee Canyon Recreation Area ...........................................................................1 00
6 - Day Hikes Around Missoula, Montana
35. Middle Fork Deer Creek Trail ..................................................................................1 02
36. Moose Can Gully and Peery Park
South Hills Trail System ...............................................................................................1 04
Blue Mountain Recreation Area
blue mountain recreation area map (hikes 37–43) .....................................1 06
37. South O’Brien Creek Loop ........................................................................................1 08
38. Vista Point Loop ..............................................................................................................1 1 2
39. Maclay Flat Nature Trail ..............................................................................................1 1 4
40. Deadman Point .................................................................................................................1 1 6
41 . Hayes Point.........................................................................................................................1 1 8
42. Blue Mountain National Recreation Trail
and Blue Mountain Nature Trail ...............................................................................1 20
43. Blue Mountain Lookout from Blue Mountain Saddle ..................................1 22
Northwest Missoula
Frenchtown • Ninemile Valley
44. Council Grove State Park ...........................................................................................1 24
45. Erskine Fishing Access Trail .......................................................................................1 26
46. Grand Menard Discovery Trail ................................................................................1 28
47. Kreis Pond Trail ................................................................................................................1 30
48. Bike Trail Loop at Kreis Pond...................................................................................1 32
ninemile Valley map (hikes 46–50) ..........................................................................1 34
49. Sleeping Woman Trail to Cha-paa-qn.................................................................1 35
50. Reservation Divide East Trail to Cha-paa-qn ..................................................1 36
southwest Missoula: highway 1 2
Lolo to Lolo Pass
including the Fish Creek Drainage
highway 1 2 map: lolo to lolo pass and idaho (hikes 51–65) .............1 40
51 . Traveler’s Rest Interpretive Trail
Traveler’s Rest State Park ..........................................................................................1 42
52. Cache Creek Trail ...........................................................................................................1 44
53. Burdette Creek Trail .....................................................................................................1 48
102 Great Hikes - 7
lolo trail and connecting hikes (hikes 54–61) ...........................................1 50
54. North Fork Howard Creek .........................................................................................1 52
55. Lolo Trail from Howard Creek
Lewis and Clark/Nez Perce National Historic Trail ....................................1 54
56. Lolo Trail: Fish Creek Road to Granite Creek
Lewis and Clark/Nez Perce National Historic Trail ....................................1 56
57. Lolo Trail: Fish Creek Road to Canyon Overlook
Lewis and Clark/Nez Perce National Historic Trail .....................................1 57
58. Lee Creek Interpretive Trail ......................................................................................1 61
59. Wagon Mountain Trail from Lee Creek
Lewis and Clark/Nez Perce National Historic Trail ....................................1 63
60. Wagon Mountain Trail from Packer Meadows
Lewis and Clark/Nez Perce National Historic Trail ....................................1 64
61 . Glade Creek Loop .........................................................................................................1 68
Lolo Pass into Idaho
62. DeVoto Memorial Cedar Grove ............................................................................1 70
63. Jerry Johnson Hot Springs ........................................................................................1 72
64. Hot Springs Lookout Trail along the Lochsa River .......................................1 73
65. Colgate Licks Nature Trail ..........................................................................................1 76
Bitterroot Valley
bitterroot Valley map (hikes 66–85) .....................................................................1 78
66. Bass Creek Trail ...............................................................................................................1 80
67. Larry Creek Fire Ecology Trail..................................................................................1 83
68. Charles Waters Nature Trail ......................................................................................1 86
69. Kootenai Creek Trail ......................................................................................................1 87
70. Bitterroot River Recreation Area
Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge ................................................................1 89
71 . Kenai Nature Trail
Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge ...............................................................1 90
72. Stevensville Nature Trail: Stevensville River Park..........................................1 94
73. Willoughby Environmental Education Area ......................................................1 96
74. Big Creek Trail ..................................................................................................................1 98
8 - Day Hikes Around Missoula, Montana
75. Glen Lake ...........................................................................................................................200
76. Bear Creek Trail to Bear Creek Falls ....................................................................202
77. Mill Creek Trail to Mill Creek Falls .......................................................................204
78. Teller Wildlife Refuge: Teller Trail ........................................................................206
79. Calf Creek Wildlife Management Area ..............................................................208
80. Hieronymus Park...............................................................................................................21 1
city of hamilton map ................................................................................................21 2
81 . River Park ............................................................................................................................21 4
82. Blodgett Canyon to the waterfall ........................................................................21 6
83. Blodgett Canyon Overlook
Fire Ecology Interpretive Trail ................................................................................21 8
84. Canyon Creek Trail to Canyon Falls and Canyon Lake ..............................220
85. Lake Como .........................................................................................................................223
rock creek DraiNage
86. Valley of the Moon Nature Trail ...........................................................................226
87. Babcock Creek Trail to Mormon Spring ............................................................228
88. Grizzly Creek Trail.........................................................................................................232
89. Welcome Creek Trail....................................................................................................234
90. Beavertail Hill State Park.............................................................................................236
Blackfoot riVer recreatioNal corriDor
91 . Whitaker Bridge to Belmont Creek .......................................................................238
92. Whitaker Bridge to Red Rock Flat and Goose Rock Flat ..........................239
seeley–swaN Valley
seeley–swan Valley map (hikes 93–102) ...........................................................242
93. Morrell Lake and Falls: Morrell Falls National Recreation Trail .............244
94. Big Larch Nature Trail ..................................................................................................246
95. Clearwater River Canoe Trail ...................................................................................248
96. Lake Dinah Trail from Lake Elsina...........................................................................250
97. Clearwater Lake Loop ................................................................................................252
98. Holland Lake and Falls ..................................................................................................254
102 Great Hikes - 9