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As with all of the national forests in the Rockies, the Lolo is
full of big game and a wide variety of exciting animals. The caveat
here is that unlike some of the other Montana national forests
and parks, most of the Lolo is thick with pine forest. Because
of the location west of the divide, the Lolo sees more rainfall
than forest lands east of the divide. Your best bet of seeing
wildlife is along forest openings such as rivers, lakes, meadows
and a few high altitude areas. The Lolo National Forest is also
grizzly country, especially the areas north of Missoula. Your
chances of seeing one are fairly slim, but they are out there.
You have a much better chance of spotting a black bear or a bald
eagle. 1,500 plant species, 60 species of mammals, 300 species
of birds and 20 species of fish make the Lolo incredibly diverse
wildlife habitat.
A cool feature offered by the Lolo National Forest
is a system of designated wildlife viewing areas:
Rock Creek Bighorn Sheep Viewing Site: This area is 20
miles east of Missoula, then at Interstate 90 head south for five
miles on Rock Creek Road. The viewing zone is centered around
Babcock Mountain which stands out as superior bighorn habitat.
The rugged nature of the cliffs and rock outcrops provides protection
for their lambs during April into June. There is a nice pulloff
area with lots of parking and restrooms. A hiking trail also takes
you up into the cliffs. This is one of your best bets for seeing
bighorn in the Lolo National Forest.
Valley of the Moon Nature Trail: Located 20 miles east
of Missoula on Interstate 90 and then 2 miles south on Rock Creek
Road. This is a cool little area tucked away in the cottonwoods
on Rock Creek. There are several interpretive signs along the
trail. Keep a look out for osprey, bald eagles, moose, elk, bull
trout and yellow warblers. Restrooms, parking and picnic tables
are on site.
Rock Creek Microburst Site: 20 miles east of Missoula on
Interstate 90, then 27 miles south on Rock Creek Road. This one
is located way back on the narrow dirt road along side Rock Creek.
This is a great place to view woodpeckers. I have seen a lot of
osprey and moose in this area as well.
Grizzly Bear Viewing Site: This is a popular one. Located
10 miles north of Seeley Lake on highway 83, then turn left on
forest road 4353. Drive to Clearwater Lake trailhead and look
for sign. You can look up into the avalanche chutes of the Swan
Range and try to spot grizzly bears feeding in the spring, summer
and fall. This is some beautiful country. Make sure you have binoculars,
a spotting scope or a long camera lens. Great country.
Clearwater Canoe Trail: Located 4 miles north on highway
83. Then left at Canoe trail sign, then .5 miles to the boat launch
area. This is a really cool 4 mile paddle through some backwaters
of the Clearwater River. Look for muskrats, loons, yellow warblers,
osprey, bald eagles and moose. Restrooms, parking and interpretive
signs at the site.
Seeley Lake Wildlife Viewing Blind: Located 3 miles north
of Seeley Lake on Highway 83 near the Seeley Lake ranger station.
This area features old growth larch and a viewing blind. The focus
her is birds but you can see other wildlife as well. Look for
loons, pileated woodpeckers, warblers, yellowthroats, American
redstarts and sandhill cranes.
Salmon Lake Wildlife Viewing Site: 8 miles north on highway
83 from the 83/200 junction. Look for bald eagles, loons, yellow
warblers, great blue herons, osprey and possible moose. Focus
on dawn and dusk. Wheelchair access, boat ramp and interpretive
sign at site.
Clark Fork River Wildlife Float: Trip begins a Maclay Trail
at Blue Mountain Road in western Missoula. This is a fantastic
10 mile float from Maclay Flat all the way to Harper's Bridge.
You can spot all kinds of wildlife here. The easiest to see will
be birds, but you may also spot deer and possibly moose. Wheelchair
access, restrooms, river access and parking on site.
A grouse forages along a gravel road in the Lolo
National Forest.
Pattee Canyon Owl Viewing Site: Right in Missoula! Take
Pattee Canyon road for 3 miles to Pattee Canyon picnic grounds.
The big attraction here is the tiny flammulated owl. These awesome
creatures are primarily nocturnal and six inches in height with
a fourteen inch wingspan. Ponderosa pines are key to this species.
Unlike most owls, the flammulated owl migrates out of the U.S.
in the fall down into northern central America. Wheelchair access,
picnic grounds, parking, interpretive signs at site.
Lolo Creek Interpretive Site: Located 8 miles
west of Lolo on highway 12. Turn in at the Fort Fizzle picnic
grounds. Interpretive sign explains improvements made to Lolo
creek including bank restoration and vegetation restoration. Scope
the waters of the creek for trout which are hopefully recovering
nicely thanks to the improvements to the stream.
Petty Creek Bighorn Viewing Site: Located 25 miles west
on Interstate 90 from Missoula to the Petty Creek turn off. Drive
Petty Creek road south 5 miles to the trailhead. Another excellent
bighorn viewing area. The combination of grassy runs, talus slopes
and cliffs make for a great combo of food and security for these
bighorn. Also keep on the lookout for golden eagles, pika and
mountain lion. Two interpretive signs and a hiking trail on site.
Koo-Koo-Sint Bighorn Viewing Site: This one is way north
of Missoula on Interstate 90 near Thompson Falls, but it's probably
the best of the bighorn viewing sites in the Lolo National Forest.
From Thompson Falls, head east on highway 200 for 8 miles. You
want to hit this one from October through May, with an emphasis
on November and December. As usual, the combination of grassy
meadow and cliffs provide a tantalizing place for bighorn to spend
some time. Wheelchair access, parking and six interpretive signs
are on site.
Clark Fork River Viewing Areas: East of Plains along highway
200 to Paradise, then down highway 135. This tour consists of
pull offs and interpretive signs along the Clark Fork River. Rally
scenic country with a good chance of seeing osprey. Bald eagles,
bighorn, deer and black bear which sometimes work the shores of
the Clark Fork.
An osprey lands on a snag with a trout.
Grand Menard Discovery Trail: Located in the NineMile Valley.
Take exit 82 on Interstate 90 then drive north on Montana 10 to
Remount Road. Then drive one mile past the Ranger Station. This
is a 1 1/2 mile gravel trail through a douglas-fir and ponderosa
pine forest. Look for woodpeckers, red-winged blackbirds, ruffed
grouse and red-breasted nuthatches. Deer are also abundant in
the area.
Maclay Nature Trail: West side of Missoula. Follow highway
12 south from Reserve Street for 3 miles to Blue Mountain Road.
Then drive for 2 miles north to the parking area. This is a really
neat ponderosa pine and cottonwood natural area known for saw-whet
owls, American redstarts, osprey, ducks, deer and various species
of raptors. Wheelchair access, trail, river access, parking and
12 interpretive signs are on site.
Greenough Park Birdwatching: Located very close to Missoula.
Take van Buren north through town ,then take Locust street west
for two blocks, then take Monroe north to the parking area. This
is a 50 acre park along Rattlesnake Creek which is known for a
huge amount of bird species (150 or so). Seven interpretive signs,
wheelchair access, restrooms, trail and picnic grounds on site.
Remember that any hiking, camping or driving in
the Lolo National Forest will be a fascinating experience if you
are interested in wildlife watching. It's a very diverse national
forest that is just full of surprises at every turn. A simple
five minute walk will reveal at least some wildlife and no doubt
a very peaceful and enjoyable time in the woods.
Photography
The Lolo is a great place for nature photography.
Any national forest will be great for this, but the Lolo is in
the upper echelon of forests. The rushing rivers, thick forest
and snowy peaks will offer subjects for the photo enthusiast.
What's nice about the Lolo National Forest is that Missoula is
a decent population center with good air service. You can be up
in the Rattlesnake wilderness within an hour of touching down
at the airport.
For photography gear in the Lolo, I recommend one of the super
zoom consumer cameras. Usually these will have 10x or 12x zoom
and IS. Most of them now take video as well. These are neat little
cameras to have in an area like this because of their versatility.
If you are into DSLR's, I would recommend going with your ultra
wide angle lens, a fast prime around 50mm and a telephoto lens
of at least 300mm. The Canon 70-300 and 100-400 are nice lenses,
so is the Nikon 70-300. For long prime shooters, the Canon 300
F4 IS and 400 5.6 are outstanding. The reason I recommend the
ultra wide angle rather than a standard zoom is because the Lolo
National Forest is really "packed in". The valleys are
tight and the forest is very dense. This will require you to have
an ultra wide angle for composition. Almost all of the images
on these pages were taken from 10mm to 20mm on a crop body (1.6x).
The only time you will really need a long lens is when you can
spot wildlife. Most of the time this will be deer, eagles, osprey
and bighorns. Moose and bear thrive in the forest but are rarely
seen due to the thick woods. If you do see them, they are into
the forest within seconds. You have to be quick!
There are several standout areas for landscape work across the
forest:
The Lake Area: This is the Seeley Lake area northeast of
Missoula. What you will see here are numerous beautiful lakes
such as Salmon Lake, Inez Lake, Placid Lake, Seeley Lake, Lake
Alva and Rainy Lake. These all have forested shorelines and mountain
backdrops. If you like to shoot still water head to Seeley Lake
and don't look back. Also in the Seeley Lake region is the most
spectacular mountain range in the area: The Mission Mountains.
While technically these are in the Flathead National Forest, the
Lolo creeps right up to them. They are very beautiful from both
sides of the range. The landscape photographer may find these
mountains to be the highlight of the area. If you are up for it
several forest roads head west from the Seeley Lake area into
the Mission Mountains. Stunning country here. Also check out Morell
Falls up forest road 447 near Seeley Lake.
The Scapegoat Wilderness Area: Windswept snags, expose
rock, thick forests and great moose country make this area north
of Lincoln stand out for photographers. Make sure you have bear
spray. The North Fork of the Blackfoot offers a rushing mountain
stream in partly burned woods. Make sure you visit Lodgepole Creek
Falls on forest road 4397.
Rock Creek: A beautiful drive south into the Lolo from
I-90. There are bighorn viewing areas, a rushing mountain stream,
cliffs, old growth ponderosa pine trees, wildflowers and steep
canyons. Great landscape country.
Heart Lake: Located at 5,771 elevation fifty miles Northwest
of Missoula. Take Fish Creek Road off I-90 and take it till it
dead ends. Welcome to the Great Burn county. This is a large roadless
area with several pristine lakes. Great opportunities for the
shutterbug here. Be prepared to work for it though.
Clark Fork Canyon: From De Borgia to Alberton
the Clark Fork slices through a steep canyon with rapids, cliffs,
forest and giant boulders. Pretty country with lots of photo opportunities
northwest of Missoula.
Welcome Creek Wilderness: Off the path small wilderness
area offering talus slopes, wildflowers and deep forest. Take
Rock Creek Road and look for wooden bridge.
Rattlesnake Recreation Area: Just north of
Missoula. Big trees, decent sized peaks and of course the endless
thick woods of the Lolo. Rattlesnake Creek is photogenic up in
the hills. A good spot for those strapped for time.
Lolo Pass: Spectacular winding pass into Idaho. Lots of
photo opportunities and wildflowers. South of Missoula at the
town of Lolo take highway 12 west. There are also numerous creeks
along the way.
Bitterroot Country: This is the Bitterroot National Forest
which borders the Lolo National Forest to the south. The Bitterroot
contains the third largest single wilderness in the lower 48,
the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. If in Missoula, this is worth
a stop. From just south of Missoula on highway 93 to Darby, you
will see the massive wall of the Bitterroor Mountains to the west.
Many roads lead up into them, and each canyon sports a scenic
mountain stream and huge cliffs. There are large trees, ferns
and wildflowers. The canyons are Bear Creek Canyon, Fred Burr
Canyon, Blodgett Canyon(really cool), Sawtooth Canyon and Lost
Horse Creek Canyon. Also, Lake Como has spectacular scenery just
south of Charlos Heights.
Your best bet for the most dramatic peaks in the Lolo National
Forest are the Bitterroots south of Missoula, The Mission Mountains
north of Missoula(either the Flathead Valley side via 93 or the
Seeley-Swan side) and the Scapegoat Wilderness area of the Lolo.
The Mission Mountains from highway 93 on the Flathead side are
especially grand.
Opening image note: I came across this bighorn a few miles north
of the Rock Creek bighorn viewing area in the Lolo National Forest.
Behind him was a large cliff for which the bighorns could retreat
to for protection. Note the old growth tree with moss.
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