The northern Swan Range -- home to the Jewel Basin Hiking Area and Alpine Trail No. 7, is the rugged backyard and scenic backdrop of the Flathead Valley. From Inspriation Pass to Columbia Mountain, the northern Swan supports our unique way of life and contributes much to the natural beauty and economic prosperity of the entire Flathead Valley. This website is dedicated to the enjoyment and appreciation of the northern Swan Range. Now is the time to act for the future of the Swan.
Swan Range, Swan River, cold shiver! (Keith Hammer photos)
Six Swan Rangers hiked along the Swan River upstream from Bigfork on Saturday, December 7, 2013.
They ignored the advice of their breakfast waitress and braved the sub-zero temperatures to get a bit of fresh air and exercise!
Sunny smiles on a cloudy day! (Keith Hammer photos)
Fourteen Swan Rangers hiked the Peters Ridge Road on a slightly drippy Saturday, November 30, 2013!
In several miles of hiking the snow depth increased from a skiff to gator-deep!
Sunshine and blue sky in the old burn! (Keith Hammer photos)
Nine Swan Rangers hiked and snowshoed the Switchback Trail to get nice views on a sunny Saturday, November 23, 2013!
They turned around about midway through the area the Forest Service burned years ago to help restore whitebark pine.
This is a good trail to keep in mind with valley fog and inversions in the forecast, as it offers a mid-elevation trail head still reachable by four-wheel-drive, boot hiking to the burn, and great above-fog views while snowshoeing or skiing the burn!
Click here for a map of Switchback Trail #725.
Click here for Flathead National Forest District maps (free as PDFs).
Got gators? The snow appears to be very deep! (Keith Hammer photos)
Eleven Swan Rangers hiked and snowshoed into Cottonwood Bottom in Krause Basin on Saturday, November 16, 2013!
The snow in Krause Basin is a good 18" deep - knee deep even when not posing on one's knees!
Two Rangers on snowshoes broke trail and the rest followed on foot.
While there is no Forest Service map specific to Krause Basin, the Swan Lake Ranger District map shows most of the trail/old road network in Krause Basin.
Click here for Flathead National Forest District maps (free as PDFs).
Ferndale, Flathead Lake and Lower Valley. (Keith Hammer photos)
Eighteen Swan Rangers broke into several groups and hiked the Peterson Creek Trail on Saturday, November 9, 2013!
The trail has a lot of blowdown from big winds a couple weeks ago, but it turned into a wonderful sunny day nonetheless!
Click here for a free Forest Service PDF map of Peterson Creek Trail #293.
Click here for Flathead National Forest District maps (free as PDFs).
Upper Wolf Creek Canyon in southern Jewel Basin. (Keith Hammer photos)
Eleven Swan Rangers hiked and sawed their way to Elk Springs on Saturday, November 2, clearing lots of deadfall from last Sunday's storm!
They spent hours clearing the old Bear Creek road, then Echo - Broken Leg Trail #544 from Wolf Creek to Elk Springs - and there's still plenty to be done!
The good news is sawing deadfall keeps you warm when it is sleeting - and Saturday's effort brought the Rangers' total hours of volunteer trail maintenance to 427 hours!
Click here for a free Forest Service PDF map of Broken Leg Trail #544 While it does not detail the area and other trails near Elk Spring, the SW portion of the Jewel Basin Map does.
Click here for Flathead National Forest District maps (free as PDFs).
Inverted valley fog imitates Glacial Lake Missoula! (Keith Hammer photos)
Ten Swan Rangers hiked a sunny Peters Ridge above inverted valley fog on Saturday, October 26, 2013!
They swore they'd not return until the fog burned off, but finally had to give it up and go home!
Click here for a free Forest Service PDF map of Peters Ridge Trail #37.
Click here for Flathead National Forest District maps (free as PDFs).
Entering the alpine with views of Flathead Lake. (Bob Muth photos)
Eleven Swan Rangers hiked Crater Notch Trail #187 on Saturday, October 19, while three kept to the lower Echo - Broken Leg Trail.
Fall colors persist while huckleberries are being replaced by mountain ash berries in bear scat along the way!
Click here for a free Forest Service PDF map of Crater Notch Trail #187.
Click here for Flathead National Forest District maps (free as PDFs).
Flathead Lake from the Phillips Trail. (Keith Hammer photos)
Eleven Swan Rangers hiked the Phillips Trail on Crane Mountain on Saturday, October 12, 2013.
It was an overcast day, but the fall colors were beautiful regardless!