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

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.

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!

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.

It's a moderate 4.5 miles in and out trail. Make sure you have a 4WD since the road to the…read moretrailhead is unpaved and narrow. Also bring bug repellant! I thought my bug days are over when I left Florida but the horse flies were huge and they bit me through my leggings.

There are some places I know that I would prefer to keep secret. And then there are those that are…read moresimply too beautiful not to share with others. Knowing the difference between these two types of places is important. The Bear Creek overlook, nestled in a slightly hidden but basically very accessible location, is definitely a "share with others" kind of place: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bear-creek-overlook-victor?select=UjA3dqSObaa9wFLG3-emJA#UjA3dqSObaa9wFLG3-emJA There is a trail there, for one. And it's fairly short, for another. And the payoff is immense. As Bitterroot Mountain guidebook authors have pointed out, it's like a summit-view without the summit effort: a sweeping panorama of granite, larch, and pine and thousands upon thousands of feet of vertical nothingness a hop, skip, and a jump away. Well, really only a hop would do it if you get close enough to the overlook's brink. But that's kind of the point: you don't need to be a daredevil or a hiking fanatic to get here. No crampons or climbing ropes needed. Even a backpack would be optional. It's like Yosemite without the crowds. Note: the drive to the trailhead is on a dirt forest service road and is a little rutted but you don't need 4x4 or high clearance to get here. It snows out by November and melts only in June, but in those months in-between, the overlook is pure Montana gold, and that's worth sharing with others.

O.M.G.! Glamping is my new FAVORITE thing!! Steve and Lorrie and their super friendly staff took…read moresuch incredible care of us! Didn't lift a finger the whole weekend! Great homemade comfort foods, my wine glass was never empty, and I slept like a baby in my real bed with nice linens and snuggly comforter! IN the wilderness! :) Clawfoot tub time with essential oils? Yes please! Hot water outside our wall tent in the evenings to freshen up before bed....they think of everything!! We caught some amazing trout on one of the most beautiful rivers I have ever seen! I cannot wait to go back!! Highly recommend!!!

From the owner: GLAMPING! July1-Sept1 In the Selway/Bitterroot Wilderness…read moreLooking for a special way to spend the evening? and night? and breakfast? "One Wonderful Night" Western Appetizers and wine are waiting for you as you pull into camp...Followed by a "hearty gourmet" Dinner...then cozy up around the campfire for coffee and homemade dessert. Be thrilled by Idaho's wilderness night sky presentation! Retire to wall tent cabin heated by a wood stove, and beds laden with quilts. Wake up to the aromas of coffee and fresh baked sweet rolls. After a full breakfast head back to town unless you choose to extend your stay with a wilderness trail horse ride, hiking or fly-fishing. Reservations are required.

Solitude. What does…read moreit mean to you? To me, solitude is a snow-covered ski trail framed by dense pine forests on top of the North American continental divide, located 7300 feet above sea level. A light snow is falling and there are six inches of fresh wet powder covering everything. I glide silently through forests, ridges, and meadows, accompanied by the sound of the wind and the occasional scent of spruce. At times, animal tracks cross the trail but otherwise all is empty and white. The snow absorbs everything but my steady breathing and elevated heartbeat. I am alone on historic ground near to where Chief Joseph and a party of 800 Nez Pierce men, women, and children retreated across the Bitterroot Mountains in 1877, chased and hunted by U.S. federal troops. I finish the Lost Trail loop and turn left up Broadway towards a two-story log cabin in the woods - the Gordon Reese warming hut, which is staffed in winter by a succession of eager volunteers. They keep the fire going and kitchen stocked with hot drinks and water. It's like something out of a Robert Frost poem, except on a Western scale, not a New England one. Inside the cabin, a trio from Spokane are sitting around the communal table playing cribbage. I hang my wet clothes to dry by the cast-iron wood stove and ask to join them. We play a round together and share stories. I finish my tea ("Montana Gold," a rooibos, orange peel, and cinnamon blend) and head out for another circuit, past Windy Corner, along the Timber Trail, through the Sunny Meadow Loop, and back on Broadway to the parking lot. My car is covered in a thick layer of snow by the time I return. The skies have cleared a bit, and I change clothes for the 90 mile drive home, down the Bitterroot Valley back to Missoula. This is not easy country. It's a high mountain pass above 7000 feet from which the head waters of the Columbia and the Missouri flow in opposite directions to reach their Pacific and Atlantic destinations. On my drive up in the morning, I literally saw falling rocks tumbling down the steep cliff to my left, and on the way down I passed an SUV upside down on the shoulder, its passengers thankfully uninjured on the side with state police and a tow truck to assist them. The trail network at Chief Joseph is 25 kilometers long, well marked, mapped, and maintained by volunteers of the Bitterroot Ski Club. On good weather weekends, there might be a few dozen skiers on the trails, which are restricted to classical (Nordic) only and snowmobiles are not allowed. But, if you crave solitude the way that I do, you'll find a way to come on a Friday morning when the rains fall in the valley and snow piles up in the mountains, where your tracks will be covered by the time you return, and where you will disappear into the trees heading down narrow, single-track trails. But you're not really alone: the warming hut is always open, and a few hardy solitude seekers are bound to appear by mid-morning or afternoon. Solitude does not mean seeking separation from the world, but the opposite. It's when you discover a deep connection to the land around you: to the remote but accessible places on our common planet that are steeped in history and inhabited by wild creatures. Places like Chief Joseph Pass, where you are always welcome to visit, because it belongs to us all as national forest. Even the warming hut. In some parts of America, they are eagerly anticipating the start of spring. Here, in Montana, we're celebrating the last days of winter in solitude, but in style. Come ski with me next time, at Chief Joseph. Solitude loves company. There is snow enough for everyone, and the cabin's fire is warm.

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.