Missoula Day Hiking

Missoula, Montana is a hiker’s paradise. I would venture there are well over 100 hiking trails in a 50 mile radius, with a few dozen being less than 5 miles of downtown. The city itself is located on the banks of the Clark Fork River, and two other major rivers, the Bitterroot and the Blackfoot, are just a few miles away. And mountains are found in every direction: the Bitterroot range to the south, the Mission and Swan ranges to the north, the Blackfoot and Hellgate ranges to the east, and the Missoula range to the west. Travel in pretty much any direction and you’ll find a national forest or wilderness area. We used Day Hikes Around Missoula, Montana by Robert Stone as a guide for choosing our hikes. We also hiked along the Blackfoot River. We stayed in our RV at the Missoula KOA.

In town hiking

While enjoying the downtown Missoula Out To Lunch concert series in Caras Park, we burned off a few calories by walking along the Riverfront trail, which parallels the Clark Fork River. On summer days you can watch adventurous souls “surf” the rapids, which seems to require wetsuits even in late June. This is the second time we’ve been “Out To Lunch” in Missoula and greatly enjoyed both times. And why not? Combine a small downtown setting on the banks of an iconic river with a dozen food trucks and well chosen local bands, and you have a great time.

Missoula’s Out to Lunch combine live musical performances with food trucks

A section of Riverfront trail in Missoula

A few trout along the Riverfront Trail

Locals river surf “Brennan’s Wave” on the Clark Fork RIver

Mount Jumbo Traverse/Hidden Trail

There are a large number of hikes on Mount Jumbo, many of which start from the same trailhead just east of town. We opted for a 5 mile trail combining the Mount Jumbo Traverse with Hidden Trail. The trail begins at the end of Cherry Street, a short distance from Interstate 90. We quickly gain elevation as we walk, causing us to look down on the interstate with aural unease, as the noise is intruding upon our otherwise idyllic stroll. Fear not, for as the elevation increases the din from the freeway subsides; the vehicles are reduced to nothing more than Matchbox toys. Apropos of the name, we traverse the side of Mount Jumbo, affording lovely views of the Clark Fork river and Hellgate Canyon. We turned around just before the trail descended into the town of East Missoula and backtracked to our car, for a total elevation gain of 730 feet.

The Mt. Jumbo Traverse begins near the start of the L Trail

The trail offers views of downtown Missoula

The hike travels through Hellgate Canyon, above I-90

The trail climbs higher into the canyon

Hidden Trail meanders along a hillside

Floral hillside along Hidden Trail

Rattlesnake Recreation Area

Yet another area of great hiking trails close to Missoula. We hiked 6 miles and 300 feet of elevation gain on a variety of trails, but mainly the Rattlesnake Corridor Trail with a few offshoots down to Rattlesnake Creek. The Corridor Trail is a wide and flat road with a gravel surface, perfect for making time. Once you get bored of that, many smaller and steeper trails head in a myriad of directions, guaranteeing you’ll get lost. Don’t worry, you won’t be lost for long as all the trails head back to the gravel road. If you’re willing to put some serious miles on your footwear you can hike all the way to the Rattlesnake Wilderness and camp overnight.

The Main Rattlesnake Corridor

The side trails drop down to Rattlesnake Creek

A side trail heads back up from the creek

The trail was well maintained but there were a few minor tree crossings

Scenic beauty along the main Rattlesnake Corridor

Lolo Trail/Lewis and Clark Trail/Nez Perce Trail

In the western part of Montana, near the border with Idaho, there are three historic trails that follow the same path for a few hundred miles. This is no accident, as the oldest of these trails, the Lolo Trail, has been used for thousands of years by the Nez Perce Native Americans as a way to cross the Continental Divide. When Lewis and Clark came upon the imposing edifice of the Rocky Mountains in the early 1800s, all locals knew about the ancient road and urged them to use it. They indeed took the path, albeit at the wrong time of the year (which is a different story entirely), and arrived safely in the fertile valleys of Idaho.

Nez Perce Trail is a National Historic Trail

In 1877, the Nez Perce once again used their trail, but this time to flee forced relocation to a reservation by the US Army. This event is known as the Nez Perce War, as many skirmishes took place along their 1170 mile route, the goal of which was escape to Canada. They were led by their Chief, Chief Joseph, who was forced to surrender October 5, 1877 in Montana, less than 40 miles from Canada. Here are Chief Joseph’s words upon surrender:

“I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed…It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are—perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, to see how many I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever”

A section of the Lolo/ Nez Perce/ Lewis & Clark Trails

We hiked a 5 mile section of trail near Lolo Hot Springs in the Lolo National Forest. I would like to say the trail was replete with historical significance and transported us back in time. But the surprisingly elaborate, and almost certainly illegal, disc golf course someone set up along the trail diminished the authenticity.

Along the Lolo/ Nez Perce/ Lewis & Clark Trails

The trail travels through forest

In the Lolo National Forest

We visited the Lolo Pass Visitor Center which is on the Idaho side of the pass

The Glade Creek area near Lolo Pass

Morrell Falls Trail

The drive to this hike sums up nicely the type of hikes we prefer: drive 50 miles from a population center on a series of ever smaller paved roads, then go down a wide gravel road for a number of miles, before turning on a narrow, twisty, potholed one lane dirt road to the trail head. Usually there are exactly zero vehicles at the trailhead. And you’ve been out of cell range for 30 miles. Perfect!

Morrell Falls Trail is easy to follow and well maintained

The Morrell Falls Trail, located in the Lolo National Forest near the town of Seeley Lake, is an easy, 5.6 mile round trip hike to a spectacular 200 foot double waterfall. Kudos to the local forest service employees for their hard work keeping this trail in tip-top shape. The details indicate a 250 foot elevation gain to the falls, but both our fitbits read 550 feet. Not a big deal, but I wonder if the author just subtracted the starting and ending elevations and ignored any intra-hike ups and downs.

The Morrell Trail winds through old growth forest

A pond along the trail

A section of new growth forest along the trail

Morrell Falls near the town of Seeley Lake

Deadman Point

Deadman Point is one of many hikes in the Blue Mountain Recreation Area, a 4900 acre natural playground managed by the Lolo National Forest, located just a few miles south of Missoula. This trail is approximately 6 miles roundtrip with 1200 feet of total elevation gain. The trail to Deadman Point is also an off road motorcycle trail, so you’ll have to be on the lookout during your hike. Luckily these machines are annoyingly loud, so you’ll hear them long before you see them. We encountered only a single rider during our hike.

Mike at two trails diverged in the wood

The trail begins by switchbacking down to Hayes Creek (no relation) and crossing a nicely constructed bridge before working its way slowly up a hillside and finally attaining the treeless overlook called Deadman Point. From here you’ll enjoy sweeping vistas of the Bitterroot Valley, from Missoula to the north and down along the Bitterroot River, as it winds south towards Lolo.