The Bitterroot Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountains, located in the panhandle of Idaho and westernmost Montana. The mountains encompass an area of 4,862 square miles and are bordered on the north by Lolo Creek, to the northeast by the Clark Fork, on the south by the Salmon River, on the east by the Bitterroot River and Valley, and on the west by the Selway and Lochsa Rivers. Its highest summit is Trapper Peak, at 10,157 feet. The area encompasses the Bitterroot National Forest and part of the mountains are included in the Selway- Bitterroot Wilderness Area, both public lands. We visited this region in 2015 on a day trip from Missoula and made plans to return. We used Scott Steinberg’s “A Falcon Guide: Hiking the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness” and Robert Stone’s “Day Hikes around Missoula” to pick our hiking trails. We chose to access the Bitterroots from Darby, Montana, where we stayed at the Traveller Rest Cabins and RV Park.
We visited in June. There had been a 3 inch rain several days before and an unusually high snow total for the season, thus the region’s creeks and rivers were all running unusually high. It also rained on two of our four days hiking here. The best time of year to hike in this region is typically late July through September. We were limited to hikes that did not include wading or rock-hopping due to the swollen streams. The region has a large number of hiking trails and backpacking opportunities. We wished we’d scheduled more time here and felt like we barely scratched the surface of the region’s hiking opportunities. We will definitely return for a longer visit in the future.
Blodgett Canyon Overlook Trail
This easy 3.0 mile out-and back gains about 500 feet in elevation. The hike begins from the Canyon Creek Trailhead. Take Main Street west from US 93 in Hamiton for 1.3 miles to a four way intersection with Ricketts Road. Turn right and follow Ricketts Road for 0.5 miles to a four way intersection with Blodgett Camp Road. Turn left and continue 2.5 miles to Canyon Creek Road (FR 735) and turn left. Follow Canyon Creek Road to Canyon Creek Trailhead. A vault toilet is available at the trailhead.
The overlook trail takes an immediate right and heads uphill through talus and then through forest. This area burned in a forest fire in 2000 and the new growth areas have been filling in.
The trail begins by climbing through talus
The trail travels through forest with some open areas
A new growth section of trail
There are several benches placed along the trail that provide great viewpoints for the Bitterroot Valley and Blodgett Canyon. The trail is easy to follow. If you are hiking with children, it is important to know that there are very steep drop offs at the end of the trail.
One of the benches along the trail
The views of Blodgett Canyon and the Bitterroot Valley are worth the hike.
View of Bitterroot Valley
Blodgett Creek
Blodgett Canyon from the Overlook
Bad Luck Mountain accessed from Magruder Corrider
The Magruder Corridor connects Darby, Montana with Elk City, Idaho. The historic, 101-mile, single-lane, mostly-unimproved Magruder Corridor Road winds through a vast undeveloped area, offering solitude and pristine beauty as well as expansive mountain views.
The Magruder Corridor is our favorite kind of road: remote, rugged and scenic
The corridor was created in 1980 leaving a unique road that enables a traveler to drive between two wildernesses: the 1.2 million-acre Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness to the north, and the 2.3-million-acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness to the South. The road itself has changed little since its construction by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. The Magruder Corridor is not recommended for low-clearance vehicles, motor homes or vehicles towing trailers. Travel by motorized or mechanized equipment or vehicles is not permitted in a designated wilderness, so stay on the roads.
View into the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness from the Nez Perce Pass
Nez Perce Pass is the border between Montana and Idaho
Travel time varies, but it takes six to eight hours to travel from Darby to Elk City without rest stops, at an average speed of 12-15 miles per hour. A two-day trip is ideal with an overnight stay at one of the dispersed or primitive campsite locations. The corridor was named for Elk City merchant Lloyd Magruder who, in 1863, along with four companions, was murdered near mile 44.2 westbound (near the Selway River). The murderers were pursued and brought back to Lewiston, Idaho, where they were tried, found guilty, and hanged; the first legal hanging in the Idaho territory.
The scenic Selway River
We traveled the Magruder Corridor (Nez Perce Road FR 468) to Paradise Road (FR 6223) and followed Paradise Road the 11.5 miles to its end at the Paradise Guard Station and campground with the intent of hiking Bad Luck Mountain Trail, listed in “A Falcon Guide: Hiking the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness” as a 5.2 mile difficult out and back with ridgeline views. The trailhead is found “100 yards west of the guard station and corral.” We hiked up and down the road several times and were unable to discern where the trailhead was located as the area was quite overgrown. We were able to find the trailhead for White Cap Creek, which was well signed, and hiked a distance on that trail instead. There must be a reason that Bad Luck Mountain got its name! We cannot recommend this hike, but the drive to/from the area is gorgeous!
Paradise Guard Station
White Cap Creek Trail is heavily used by stock travel
White Cap Creek
Lost Horse Creek
Lost Horse Creek Road (Forest Service Road 429), about 9 miles south of Hamilton, delivers you almost to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness boundary when the road is open. This 18 mile unpaved road was scheduled to open around June 16, but the heavier snow season and some road damage kept the road closed to traffic for the last six miles. We parked at the closure gate and decided to walk the road to get in some hiking and a taste of the region. The road slowly traveled uphill through old growth forest. There were numerous streams carrying water down to Lost Horse Creek, which we could hear thundering its way down to the Bitterroot River. We plan to return to this area and hike either Coquina, Bailey, or Spruce Lake Trails.
We parked the Jeep and hiked up Lost Horse Creek Road
Run-off from the rain and snow melt
A lush meadow along Lost Horse Creek Road
Another creek along the road
In the Bitterroot Mountains
Lake Como Loop
Lake Como Recreation Area
Scenic Lake Como has views the entire way around it. The easy to moderate 8.3 mile loop hike is in the Lake Como Recreation Area, which includes a beach area, boat launch, camping and picnic area. To reach the trailhead use Lake Como Road (Forest Service Road #550) located several miles north of Darby and well labelled. We followed signs to day use parking near the trailhead. The trail (#502) starts as a paved accessible trail for 0.2 miles and affords great views of the Como Peaks. As we neared the inlet, the trail became more overgrown. We reach the junction with Rock Creek Trail (#580) just before the inlet and stayed to the left to continue around the lake.
The first section is paved for 0.2 miles
View of the Como Peaks
View from trail #502
Butterflies along the trail
Fortunately, there is a sturdy bridge over the inlet which Steinberg refers to as an “otherwise impassable torrent”. We crossed over the inlet and continued along the opposite shore on Rock Creek Trail (#580). The inlet end of this trail was also somewhat overgrown as it passed through an area of new growth from the fire of 1988. The trail headed into some old growth forest with less ground cover as it wound along the lake. There was another log crossing over Little Rock Creek. As we reached the boat launch we headed down to the parking lot on a trail to the left.
Waterfall of Rock Creek at the inlet
Lake Como Inlet
Bridge over the inlet, Rock Creek
Overgrown section of trail
View of Lake Como from inlet end
We traveled through the boat parking lot and then across the crest of the dam. There is a bridge across the dam outlet, near the beach area. We then headed left and back to our Jeep. We had excellent weather which combined with the great views of the lake to make this our favorite hike in the region.
Second bridge was a single log
Along the Rock Creek Trail side of the lake
Heading into old growth forest along Lake Como
Lake Como and the Como Peaks from the crest of the dam
Glen Lake Trail
We hiked this trail in August 2015. This hike was our introduction to the Bitterroot Mountains and Valley and left us eager to return. The easy to moderate 5.4 mile out and back trail has an elevation gain of 1,080 feet and loss of 260 feet. To reach the trailhead, travel 2 miles north of Victor to Bell Crossing Road. Head west 0.5 miles to the T intersection with Meridian Road. Turn right onto Meridian. In 0.25 miles, take an abrupt left hand turn onto Curlew Orchard Road (west). Proceed 1.1 miles to Big Creek Road (Forest Service Road 738), which veers to the right after passing Indian Prairie Loop. Follow FR 738 for 1.7 miles to Smith Creek Road (FR 1321). Turn left (south) and follow for 7 miles to the Glen Lake Trailhead, located at a spacious but unimproved (ie no facilities) switchback. Look for the trailhead information board which is the start of the hike.
The Glen Lake trail heads uphill through a burned out region
The well defined trail heads up through the area burned by the 2006 Gash Point Fire. The fairly open terrain affords numerous views of the Bitterroot Valley. To the southwest, Gash Point, at 8,886 feet is prominent. You reach the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness boundary sign at 1.3 miles. From here you will head downhill. When you reach an unsigned trail junction, head left and follow the clearly defined trail to Glen Lake, reached at 2.7 miles.
View of the Bitterroot Valley
The Bitterroot Mountains
Glen Lake
Montana’s Bitterroot Mountains
