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.

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.

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.

how can anyone rate this place a 4 since Bernie is no longer bartending? The bartenders now are…read morehorrible. One is sexist, rude and arrogant and mixes a horrible drink. The parking lot is dirty, too many intoxicated people, restaurant is fair. go to engstroms. I would never go to testy festy, loud, vulgar, etc. A stain on the community

The bartender has a positive attitude and his glass half full. Spin cycle is always on! Mike's a…read morereal company man, and a real go-getter. The beer was cold enough and he's getting us extra fries. The bathrooms worked fine, so there's that. Try the testes and let me a know how they are.

As noted by others, Travelers Rest State Park contains the only physically verified campsite of the…read moreLewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806. The Park is well worth a visit if you are nearby. There is a ver nice interpretive center, walking trails and access to Lolo creek. I particularly enjoyed the Creek access. Lewis and Clark camped here twice. Once on the first leg of their journey traveling west and then on their return east. On their return the expedition temporarily split up to explore independently. This was the place they split so this is indeed a historical spot. I visited with my children and grandchildren. The kids particularly enjoyed wading in Lolo Creek as did our Labrador Retriever Gigi who retrieved lots of sticks. I am very glad we took the time to visit and highly recommend Travelers Rest Park.

This is only the second site along the Lewis and Clark trail where physical evidence of the Corps…read moreof Discovery has been found. This is one of the few spots where the Corps stopped both on the westward and eastbound legs of their journey. It was a serendipity discovery made when archelogists were trying to calibrate an instrument that detected magnetic anomolies. They moved it about 300 feet from a power line and turned it on. Amazingly, the instrument detected metal traces. By moving it around they found a rectangular area of trace mercury depositions. They had found the latrine for the Corps! The mercury was from soldiers taking a laxative pill called "Dr. Rush's Thunderbolts" that contained mercurous chloride (calomel). In the weeks the Corps camped nearby, the members of the expedition "excreted" enough of the medication to permit a thin layer to be detected. By referring to the Army Field Manual used by Lewis, who did everything by the book, they were able to find the camp, just 200 feet away. There they uncovered some bits of melted lead dropped from making bullets and found evidence of a blacksmith operation. There is an small museum that tells more of the story of Lewis and Clark. Occasionally, you may also find local reenactors who have set up a replica of what the Corps of Discovery's camp might have looked like. When in Lolo, visit Traveler's Rest!

Here I am, in the off season of the bitterroot valley, needing a Missoula airport pickup for my…read moredaughter, traveling to Hamilton. I contacted Russ and he was very responsive. He texted my daughter to assure her he would meet her at the one (for now) baggage carousel, and he was there waiting for her. He took her nonstop to Hamilton without any issues. This retired big city cop is incredibly jaded. Russ delivered and I am grateful. Thanks again, Russ! I recommended Russ to all my bitterroot extended family.

Dave is very responsible, professional, and friendly driver. He arrived early at our home, and we…read morearrived in Missoula with plenty time... a very safe, low stress drive on a foggy day with low visibility and heavy traffic, and return home safely. I recommend Dave and Heidi very highly for a safe, on time taxi drive. Hank Winters, Hamilton, MT

Talk about professionalism, excellent service, and fantastic follow up. My wife and I reached out…read moreto Heidi to help shuttle our wedding ceremony guests from multiple places with a tight timeframe. They were so helpful and courteous and helped make what can be a stressful day seamless. Heidi was on point throughout the process, and even share useful info in regards to other wedding vendors. We really appreciate how easy they've made it.

Range is fine but some of the staff are very rude. The range officer at the range we used was nice…read morebut the guy in the office was needlessly rude, almost like they wanted us to feel unwelcome and not come back. Mission accomplished.

Whittecar Rifle and Pistol Range is a great place for locals to shoot. SAFE, we managed, and well…read moreequipped, we joined after shooting there the first time. I highly recommend the range.