What a beautiful hike and way to spend some time enjoying nature!…read more For the overlook trail, you are mostly going up hill the whole time so be prepared for a bit of an incline. The trail has a lot of trees so a good portion of it is shaded, but parts are still in the sun. Depending on the time you come, this trail gets pretty busy so be prepared for that. There is a nice opening spot up top so you can hangout and enjoy the views. I recommend packing a lunch or little picnic to enjoy up there before heading back down.

Really cool hike with a gradual elevation that's surrounded by tall trees, wooded shrubs, flowers…read moreand rock, both below, around and above. After about a mile and a half you're rewarded with a crystal clear spring fed pond with a mountain backdrop.

Absolutely the best views in the refuge. Plenty of wild life and stunning views of the valley,…read moremountains, and the beautiful Bitteroot River. Nice fall walk in the refuge.

This is a great place to see some nature. They have a few different trail options including a paved…read moreloop near the visitor center. You can take one of the additional walking paths to make for a longer walk which is really beautiful. There were lots of birds to see near the water. Staff in the visitor center were friendly and knowledgeable and they had a large display of animals that you might see in the park. Definitely worth a few hours of your time when you're in the Stevensville area.

This is our go-to place for hiking. Known simply as "The Rattlesnake" to locals, here you can find…read morea variety of hiking trails for people of all ages. This area is gorgeous and full of natural beauty. Regardless of which hiking trail you decide to explore, you will be taken back by the beautiful Montana scenery. My family and I have been coming here for 13 years now, and it still remains our favorite spot to soak up some nature. If you are just traveling through the area and came to this review, I promise you won't be disappointed. Here's a little secret: during huckleberry season, you will find there are plenty of huckleberry bushes scattered throughout the different trails. I would suggest grabbing a handful to snack on while you are hiking. If you aren't sure what they look like, Google "huckleberry bushes." The second you taste the sweetness of one, you will know. Be sure to bring some water with you if this is your first time. Also, don't forget to take lots of pictures!

Wonderful hiking area with abundant wildlife! Fortunately we did not come across any bears!read more

St. Mary Trailhead has adequate parking for both cars and trailers. It offers access to St. Mary…read morePeak Trail #116, St. Mary Lookout and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Facilities include a vault toilet. The trail is a 7 miles moderate round trip with a little bit over 3,000 ft elevation gain to reach 9310 ft. Bring a bug spray if you hike it in the summer.

This center is great! The bathrooms are pretty nice, and there are informational signs around if…read moreyou want to read about the area and its wildlife. There's a trail behind the center that is well-maintained. Unfortunately, the visitor center was closed when I stopped by, but there was still plenty to do in the area. Peeking in the windows, it looks well stocked with things to buy and exhibits. I'll hopefully stop by when they're open next time!

If those bathroom are open 24 seven. Why where they closed Thursday Oct 16 2025. There was alot of…read morepeople wondering why. And your add said that store was opened. And each time I come it's closed.

I have never been to a primitive hot spring, but it was as amazing as I imagined it! From the…read moreparking lot, walk on the bridge over the river and make a right. There's a sign that helps direct the way. Continue on a forest trail, bathing in the scents of the woods. There's some muddy areas, so watch out! Soon, you can see clouds of steam, which are the hot springs. The first one looked amazing as the spring cascades down a rock face into the spring pool, although the path down looks treacherous and it was already occupied by clothing-optional people. I think if I wanted to wear my birthday suit, I would pick this spring as it's hard to see from the trail and offers privacy. Past that spring is an area on the river bank that has several pools, and if you go beyond that a larger and final pool. The springs do not smell sulfurous at all. I was thinking it might smell like the springs in Yellowstone, but they're much better and you can get in and soak to your heart's content!

What a great little hike! This area is beautiful and it's a semi-intermediate hike from the trail…read morehead to the hot springs. The first thing you will do is cross an old wooden bridge. Make a right once you cross the bridge and the trail will take you to the hot springs. The hike itself can be pretty rocky, with lots of tree roots sticking up out of the ground to watch for. There is some incline to it in parts, but overall this is a fairly nice hike. The hot springs isn't very large, but is a very relaxing spot to rest up in. The water is the perfect temperature year round and once in, I find I don't want to leave. It can be hit or miss on the amount of people you will find there. We've never seen too many people at once, and twice have gone there to find we were the only people there. If you are debating on whether to go, I say "Do it!" The natural beauty surrounds you the entire hike and it makes it more than worth it!

Welcome Creek may not strike you as a very welcoming place, at least not at first glance. It's not…read moreunwelcoming, exactly, but it makes an impression - an intimidating impression. It's steep, rocky, rugged, and wild. Once you cross the swaying suspension bridge from the trail head parking to the other side of Rock Creek, you're really entering another world, in which humans rarely tread. As far as wilderness areas go, this one is tiny at just over 28,000 acres, but it doesn't feel tiny when you are there. It's a single watershed, a clear mountain creek whose headwaters are high above in the Sapphire Range, where snows linger into late spring and early summer. A rough hewn trail follows the creek all the way to the top of the dividing ridgeline. To the East is picturesque Rock Creek, brimming with trout fishermen. To the West over the ridge is the Bitterroot Valley. In between are wilderness, deep canyons, steep mountains, dense forests, and diverse wildlife. It's not a place that many people explore, and recent wildfires have rendered the landscape even less inviting. It looks and feels frightening. But these feelings are initial ones only. They will fade away, and what remains is an appreciation for the protected wildness that is Welcome Creek. You really are the leave-no-trace visitor here, and you'll know it. Whether you are clambering over fallen trees, negotiating a rocky talus field, or scrambling atop boulders to get a better view, the wilderness value of this place is abundantly evident. If you linger long enough, you'll detect the small things that reveal a healthy forest in the process of healing itself, hiding the traces of its gold mining past, and slowly replacing the burnt trees and scorched hillsides with new growth and green foliage. The sounds are minimal, but majestic. The wilderness can be a welcoming place, if you open your eyes, calm your mind, and respect the limits of man in a place that is not his alone to possess. The plants and animals can have Welcome Creek as a sanctuary. I'll play the role as guest, any day.

Gorgeous. Can walk up about a mile to the M or keep going another mile to the top and over. Hard to…read morebeat views. Good for family and pets.

The zigzag climb up to the M is spectacular...once you get to the top!!! Fantastic place that I got…read moreto experience growing up in Missoula

What a lovely place. We came here both to hike and to hang out at the beach on a warm spring day…read more The beach near the parking area is pretty gravelly, and the lake was still a bit cold for the likes of us, so we stuck to hiking. We took Trail #502 along the north shore, and were richly rewarded with views, waterfalls and wildlife. I would come here again in a heartbeat. Como Lake is tucked in along the eastern edge of the Bitterroot Range. Snow capped mountains form much of the horizon, and the lake is a lovely turquoise blue. Ponderosa pines seem to be the dominant tree cover, and there are many different kinds of rock formations, particularly scree slopes and some gorgeous bedrock formations close to the water. Moss, ferns and lichens are everywhere, and we were here just as the wildflowers were starting to bloom. There was also lots of wildlife--we saw ospreys, woodpeckers, wild turkeys, jays, garter snakes, squirrels and chipmunks, and I would guess there are other, bigger animals around here if you are lucky. The trail is pretty easy and there is basically no elevation change. Lots of excellent vistas, meadows, and cool spots to look at how the area was affected by wildfires several decades ago. Hike all the way to the junction with Trail #580 to see a great little waterfall, probably about 3.5 miles or so from the trailhead. There are primitive facilities at the trailhead and at the beach, and also a boat launch. It wasn't crowded at all and everyone we met was super nice. Lots of cute dogs too.

it was very pretty and I enjoyed the view. I however did not have any Perry Como music with me. lol…read more took some nice photos