Page 42 - Flathead Living Fall 2014

FIVE ROAD TRIPS FOR FALL
TO IDAHO
93
POLSON
83
The hike to Holland Lake Falls – located north of Seeley Lake at the edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness – provides views of Holland Lake and the Swan and Mission mountain ranges.
swaN vallEy
➡ HigHWaY 83
nyone who tRavelS eaSt
frequently has likely taken Highway 83 through the densely forested Swan Valley.
200
MISSOULA
N
10 mi.
90
The Trip
array of wildlife, including numerous waterfowl species, elk, moose, and
a diverse assortment of fish for anglers. It’s also a habitat corridor for threatened grizzly bears. The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex par- allels the highway to the east.
Holland Lake is a popular stop, with hiking trails, boat launches, a camp- ground, a lodge and other amenities. Shortly after Holland, you hit Seeley Lake, both the body of water and the community. The town is the busiest hub on the highway, offering oppor- tunities to dine, shop and gas up.
You come to the end of the road when you see a massive cow at the intersec- tion Highways 83 and 200. But the bovine sculpture, perched outside of a gas station, is only the end of 83. From there, you can head toward Missoula, Helena, Deer Lodge, take your pick. The Seeley-Swan, after all, is a gateway to the rest of the state, just as much as it
is a landmark destination on its own.
A
the roughly 90-mile Seeley-Swan highway connects the Flathead and Blackfoot valleys, running southeast between the Mission Mountains and Swan Range past a series of moun- tain lakes, including Swan and Seeley. Traveling south from Kalispell, you turn left onto Highway 82, briefly head south on Highway 35 and then cut east onto 83 just north of Bigfork.
A word of caution: Highway 83 is notoriously crowded with deer in the mornings and evenings, and the trees come right up to the road in many places. But the deer are sparse during the day.
Following along the Swan River, the first major lake you hit is the Swan on your right. It is the largest of hun- dreds of lakes scattered through-
out the valley. At the lake’s south-
ern end is a national wildlife refuge.
There are wildlife viewing areas, pull- outs, trailheads, and water access points all along the road. The region has a wide
And while it is indeed a useful straight route to central and eastern Montana, its purpose shouldn’t be diminished to a mere shortcut. It’s a destination in its own right, as a place to travel to or through for the sheer enjoyment of it.
Few stretches of road in Montana offer so much nature in so few miles: dozens
of lakes, two rivers, thick timber, grassy meadows, steep walls of mountains, all
at the doorstep of one of the country’s most impressive wilderness areas. If you’re just driving through on a hurry to somewhere else, you’re missing out.
40 FLATHEAD LIVING | FALL 2014
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PHOTOS BY LIDO VIZZUTTI