Crystal Park - Dig For Crystals Pioneer Mountains, Montana Crystal Park is the perfect place to discover rockhounding as crystals are fairly easy to find and fun to dig for in an alpine setting. The Park is located near the upper elevations of the Pioneer Scenic Byway, a road that follows the Wise River [...]
Red Rocks Lakes National Wildlife Refuge The Centennial Valley lies along the Idaho-Montana border and in summer, is home to thousands of trumpeter swans. An easy day trip from the lodge, this National Wildlife Refuge offers wildlife viewing against a backdrop of rugged, snow capped mountain peaks. A series of shallow lakes and marshes [...]
Canyon Creek Charcoal Kilns Glendale, Montana Abandonned mining towns are common place in Southwest Montana. Ghost towns and rementants of mining and smelting activities stand empty, crumbling as the elements wear them into the ground. An intersting site to see is the Canyon Creek Charcoal Kilns just 11 miles outside Melrose, Montana. Here, the [...]
Montana Wildflowers Big Hole Valley Wildflowers are easy to spot along the river, in mountainside meadows, and in the vast Montana forest. Their color gives them away. Take a break from fishing or hiking to appreciate these perennial bloomers. Wyoming Locoweed Lupine Climate and Elevation Terrain varies [...]
Twin Bridges, Montana Here 3 Montana Blue Ribbon Trout streams, the Ruby, the Beaverhead, and the Big Hole, join and form the Jefferson River. The town is all about fly fishing. There are several fly shops and even one of the world's best-known fly rod manufacturer located here. Beauty surrounds the town. The towering Tobacco Root [...]
Big Hole Battlefield Wisdom, Montana Early on the morning of August 9, 1877, gunfire awakened a band of 800 Nez Perce. The battle, which lasted less than 48 hours, killed nearly 90 Nez Perce men, woman, and children as well as 38 US soldiers. Now a National Battlefield preserved by the National Park Service, the [...]
COOLIDGE GHOST TOWN Abandoned Silver Mine Silver was discovered near a pair of elk horns high in the Pioneer Mountains in 1872 by a man named Preston Sheldon. The area became known as the Elkhorn district. More silver was discovered and soon prospectors started coming to the area. The town formed in 1914. Narrow gauge rail [...]
BANNACK GHOST TOWN Gold was struck near Grasshopper Creek in 1862 and the fledgling town of Bannack, Montana was founded. Bannack was named for the nearby Bannock Indians, however, a mistake in Washington forever named the town Bannack. In 1864, Bannack was briefly the territory capital before moving to Virginia City just a little [...]
Pioneer Scenic Byway Montana Scenic Route The Pioneer Scenic Byway is an easy-to-drive, scenic route which travels through the Pioneer Mountains in the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest. 49 miles in length, plan on taking the day to enjoy the sites and the hikes that the scenic byway has to offer. The route takes you [...]
Humbug Spires Wilderness Study Area Just a short, 15-minute drive from the ranch you'll find the Humbug Spires Wilderness Study Area. Popular with rock climbers, the primitive area has a unique outcropping of quartz monzonite. Take Moose Creek Road, a good gravel road to the trailhead. The 11,000 acres area features over 50 towering [...]
