Bitterroot Mountain Valley

The Bitterroot National Forest has been occupied by humans for 8,000 years or longer. It is the homeland of the Bitterroot Salish Indians, along with other tribes such as the Kootenai, Pend d’Oreille, Shoshone and Nex Perce. The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1805 was the first recorded contact of Euro-Americans here which accelerated in 1860s with the discovery of gold. Agriculture was grown here in abundance because of the valley’s – mild climate and abundant water supplies. In 1880s, the lumber industry developed and harvested until 1897 until the Bitterroot Forest Reserve was established – a national effort to preserved forest land in the western US.

The 1.6-million-acre Bitterroot National Forest is part of the Northern Rocky Mountains starting in the foothills of the Bitterroot River Valley with the Bitterroot Mountain Range extending 300 miles on the west and Sapphire Mountains on the east side. Missoula, Montana the nearest urban area is located 40 miles north of Hamilton, Montana. Elevations range from 3,200 ft in the north to 10,157 feet in the south. Fishing opportunities are abundant in alpine lakes, mountain reservoirs, fast running streams and Bitterroot River. Teller Wildlife Refuge located in Corvalis, is the state’s only non-profit private wildlife refuge, providing habitat for numerous birds and animals with approximately 1,200 acres. Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge north of Stevensville offers 2,800 acres to 267 species of migratory songbirds, waterfowl and water birds. Scenic Area Drives include Skalkaho Falls, Trapper Peak Vista Point, Lost Horse Observation and more here.

Two lake reservoirs Lake Como and Painted Rock offer water recreation. Lake Como named after Lago di Como in northern Italy by missionary Father Anthony Ravali who helped establish St. Mary’s Mission in the 1840s. It was dammed in early 1900s and later after settlements popped up, a small stern-wheel steamboat, the Admiral Dewey, operated taking passengers on summertime trips. Painted Rock covers 655 acres stretching 3 miles long and offers a state park, boat launching facilities and campgrounds.

St. Mary’s Mission listed in the National Register of Historical Places was established in 1841 by Fr Pierre De Smet is located in Stevensville, Montana. Open for tours from April 15 thru Oct 15, the mission offers a look in history to the state’s earliest beginning of agriculture, medicine, education and religion were first introduced.