A Three-Day Loop Tour

Western Montana's Glacier Country is comprised of magnificent mountain ranges and stunning valleys with rivers and lakes that flow seamlessly through the landscape. Explore three of Montana's most scenic valleys—Bitterroot Valley, Mission Valley and Seeley-Swan Valley—on this three-day loop-tour itinerary.

Day 1 : Missoula - The Garden City

Begin with a visit to the nearby Smokejumper Visitor Center (.8 miles from airport), the largest active smokejumper base in the nation. The Smokejumper Visitor Center is a unique opportunity to learn about this unusual, demanding and dramatic occupation. As you walk through the center you will visit the National Smokejumper Memorial, go inside a replica of a 1930s lookout tower and tour the smokejumper loft, where the smokejumpers work when they are not fighting fires. (one hour guided tour)

A bit farther down the road toward Missoula, stop in at The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Visitor Center (3.7 miles from the Smokejumper Center). The center celebrates the conservation of public wildlands, working ranches and forests where elk herds can thrive. (one hour self-guided tour)

Enjoy one of the several downtown Missoula eateries. From here explore downtown Missoula (6 miles from the airport), ride one of 38 wooden ponies at A Carousel for Missoula, while hearing a 400-pipe organ play notes directed by perforations in continuous paper rolls or stroll trails along the Clark Fork River. While enjoying the river views at Caras Park, you'll notice Brennan's Wave—a man-made engineered whitewater playpool for kayakers.

Travel south on U.S. Highway 93 to Travelers' Rest State Park in Lolo. This National Historic Landmark marks the location of a centuries-old American Indian campsite that the Lewis and Clark Expedition used in 1805 and 1806. In 2009, Montana State Parks opened the Holt Museum and Visitor Center at Travelers' Rest. This exciting addition to this timeless place gives visitors glimpses of the time before and immediately after the Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled through the Bitterroot Valley.

Continue south on US-93 and take in stunning views of the Bitterroot Mountains before arriving in the charming community of Hamilton (47 miles/50 minutes from Missoula), the hub of the Bitterroot Valley.

Tour the Daly Mansion to see how one of Montana's famous copper kings lived. Marcus Daly's 24,000 square foot summer mansion is a 42-room home with seven Italian marble fireplaces. (one hour guided tour)

Tour the Ravalli County Museum, the original county courthouse built in 1900, that now houses what is considered by many to be the finest little museum in the northwest. Permanent collections include an American Indian exhibit, Ricketts Museum commemorating the development of the Rocky Mountain Laboratory, an antique kitchen, miner/trapper room, a veteran's display, Ernst Peterson photo exhibits, extensive archives, Victorian rooms and a Lewis and Clark room.

Overnight in Hamilton.

IF YOU GO:

Smokejumper Visitor Center - 406.329.4934 - fs.usda.gov/science-technology/fire/smokejumpers/missoula/center
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Visitor Center - 406.523.4545 - rmef.org
Missoula Downtown - 406.523.4238 - missouladowntown.com
Travelers' Rest State Park- 406.273.4253 - travelersrest.org
Daly Mansion - 406.363.6004 - dalymansion.org
Ravalli County Museum and Historical Society - 406.363.3338 -ravallimuseum.org

EATS:

MacKenzie River Pizza Co. (Missoula) - 406.721.0077 - mackenzieriverpizza.com
The Edge Restaurant & Sports Bar (Hamilton) - 406.375.0007 - theedgerestaurant.com
Filling Station Grille (Hamilton) - 406.363.4567 - filling-station-grille.business.site
Bitter Root Brewery (Hamilton) - 406.363.7468 - bitterrootbrewing.com

SLEEPS:

Bitterroot River Inn - 406.375.2525 - bitterrootriverinn.com
Quality Inn - 406.363.6600 - choicehotels.com/montana/hamilton/quality-inn-hotels

Day 2: Flathead Lake

Head north on US-93 to your first stop at the St. Ignatius Mission in St. Ignatius. (one hour, 30 minutes from Hamilton)

Founded in 1854 by Jesuit missionaries, the mission, and especially Brother Carignano's remarkable frescoes, is a must-see for anyone who appreciates historical landmarks. (30 minute self-guided tour)

The Three Chiefs Cultural Center in St. Ignatius is the place to experience the rich cultural heritage of the Salish, Pend d'Oreille and Kootenai Tribes. The center features an exhibit gallery, educational programs and Native Ed-Venture interpretive tours focusing on American Indian heritage, natural history and cultural interpretation. (one hour tour)

After visiting the mission and culture center, head toward Dixon on State Highway 200 and north to Moiese to visit the CSKT Bison Range. Established in 1908, it is one of the oldest wildlife refuges in the nation and is home to hundreds of bison, as well as elk, white-tailed and mule deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep and black bear. The visitor center provides interpretive displays and orientation videos, as well as a bookstore and restrooms. Staff is on hand to answer questions and dispense maps and brochures. A 6-mile loop is accessible to motorcoaches. (one hour self-guided tour)

Check out the Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana, located 6 miles south of Ronan and adjacent to the scenic Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge. Enjoy the 2,000+ acre scenic refuge for native birds—and the museum's collection of early photos, artifacts and antiques representing more than a century of life in the Flathead Valley.

The Red Lion Ridgewater Inn & Suites Polson (8 miles/11 minutes from the People's Center) is your next stop, located overlooking the southwest shore of Flathead Lake. Enjoy exploring downtown Polson's local boutiques, souvenir shops and art galleries.

Overnight in Polson.

IF YOU GO:

CSKT Bison Range - 406.644.2211 - bisonrange.org
St. Ignatius Mission - 406.745.2768 - stignatiusmission.org
Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana- 406.644.3435 - ninepipesmuseum.org
Three Chiefs Cultural Center - 406.675.0160 - threechiefs.org
Polson Chamber of Commerce- 406.675.0160 -polsonchamber.com

Day 3: Seeley-Swan Valley

From Polson, continue north on US-93 along the shores of Flathead Lake to Bigfork (33 miles/42 minutes from Polson), a walker's delight of galleries and eateries. This is a perfect stop to stretch your legs and do some shopping. This quaint western village was chosen as “One of the 50 Great Towns of the West,” designated as “One of the 100 Best Small Art Towns of the Nation,” and was listed in National Geographic's Guide to Small Town Escapes, which is no surprise given its gourmet restaurants, fun shops, local character and beautiful natural surroundings.

From Bigfork, travel east on State Highway 82, then south on State Highway 83 through the Seeley-Swan Valley. Pinched between the east slope of the Mission Mountains and the west slope of the Swan Range, the Seeley-Swan is a series of pristine mountain lakes among dense stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and larch.

Seeley Lake (74 miles/1.25 hours from Bigfork) is a great choice for lunch. Try Seasons Restaurant at Double Arrow Lodge.

From Seeley Lake you may choose to travel on to Yellowstone National Park (279 miles/4 hours), or follow MT-200 back to Missoula (78 miles/1 ¾ hours) to complete a Missoula loop route, or continue into Idaho and Washington on Interstate 90.

If traveling back to Missoula make time for the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. The museum is located on 32 acres and its collection includes 24,000 objects and 13 historic structures. As a major historical museum in Western Montana, the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula provides a valuable educational and cultural experience for the community and entire region. The museum's indoor galleries contain both permanent and changing exhibits that deal with topics of interest from the period of early exploration to modern times.

Overnight in Missoula.

IF YOU GO:

Bigfork Chamber of Commerce - 406.837.5888 - bigfork.org
Seeley Lake Chamber of Commerce - 406.677.2880 - seeleylakechamber.com
The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula - 406.728.3476 - fortmissoulamuseum.org

EATS:

Seasons Restaurant at the Double Arrow Resort (Seeley Lake) - 406.468.0777 - doublearrowresort.com/dining
Rumour (Missoula) - 406.549.7575 - rumourrestaurant.com
The Montana Club Restaurant (Missoula) - 406.541.8141 - montanaclub.com