It’s huckleberry season, a time of year that both Montana residents and visitors crave. The patches are lush and the higher the altitude, the riper the berries. A local sweet spot is the Danny On Trail on Big Mountain, where huckleberry hunters walk the trail in an effort to find the perfect patch. Hikers can ride the chairlift to the top of the mountain and take the trail down, or vice versa.
The trail is 3.8 miles, one way, which gives plenty of opportunities to find berries. This time of year, the patches are not slim pickings. The purple berries can be spotted in abundance in the greenery bordering the trail. About the size of a blueberry, the berries hang on bushes low to the ground with sparse branches.
There are plenty of great places to pick huckleberries throughout Northwest Montana. Many of the prime spots are located on U.S. Forest Service land. For more information, contact a local Forest Service district office or visit www.fs.usda.gov/main/flathead/passes-permits/forestproducts.