Page 40 - Flathead Living Fall 2014

FIVE ROAD TRIPS FOR FALL
st. rEgis
➡ HigHWaY 28 aND 135
f you’Re Seeking a Scenic
cruise, it might feel counterin- tuitive to veer in the opposite direction of Flathead Lake’s
The Trip
traveling south from Kalispell on Highway 93, turn right onto Highway 28 at Elmo. Motorists have been known to hit bighorn sheep on 28, so keep an eye out. After about 30 miles, you’ll see a sign for Hot Springs. You can turn right to check out the town or continue heading south.
Shortly after Hot Springs, you have the option of turning onto Highway 382, which takes you along the lowest sec- tion of the Flathead River just before it flows into the Clark Fork. When the road meets up with Highway 200, take a right and travel west until you turn left onto Highway 135 to head toward St. Regis.
If you don’t take 382 and instead con- tinue on 28, you’ll hit 200 at the small community of Plains, where you can gas up or grab a snack. Unless you’re head- ing west to Idaho or Washington, you want to turn left on 200 and head
southeast along the Clark Fork River until you reach the intersection of Highway 135, where you turn right.
Highway 135 slices through a steep canyon with picturesque views of the Clark Fork River. The fishing is good along this stretch of river, and it’s far less crowded than the waters near Missoula. Quinn’s Hot Springs is also tucked away here. Quinn’s offers soak- ing pools, a restaurant, bar, and lodging.
The canyon dumps you out at St. Regis on Interstate 90. Altogether, it’s about two hours from Kalispell to St. Regis. If you’re traveling west, this is actu- ally a shorter route than 93. And if you’re going to Missoula, you only have another hour east on I-90, which means you lost one hour on your detour. That’s a pretty small sacrifice for what should be one
of the nicest fall road trips you’ll take.
I
lovely blue waters. But intuition is often overly rooted in habit, and we all need detours in our lives to break the cycle of routine.
The 80-mile strip of highway between Elmo and St. Regis fits the bill perfectly. It takes you past the funky hippie enclave of Hot Springs, along the meandering Lower Clark Fork River or Flathead River, and
to the doorstep of Quinn’s Hot Springs if you desire a soothing mineral water soak. By the time you hit Interstate 90, a detour might have just become a new habit.
28
28
POLSON
93
HOT SPRINGS
State Highway 135 between St. Regis and Paradise. The scenic highway follows the curving Clark Fork River.
TO THOMPSON FALLS
135
ST. REGIS
90
382
N
5 mi.
200
TO COEUR D’ALENE
38
FLATHEAD LIVING | FALL 2014
F
L
A
T
H
E
A
D
L
A
K
E
PHOTOS BY LIDO VIZZUTTI