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HIKING
Swan Range Trails
From a rambling nature hikes with small children, to quick day hike, to a challenging backpack adventure, the Swan Range has it all. The sweeping view from the Swan Crest is unforgettable, with Flathead Lake gleaming on one side and the jagged majesty of the Bob Marshall Wilderness on the other. Flathead Valley locals and visitors alike treasure the hundreds of miles of trails available for hiking, horseback riding and llama packing.
Hike, Snowshoe and Ski with Other Swan RangersThe Swan Rangers meet every Saturday morning at the Echo Lake Cafe for breakfast at 7:30, leaving at 8:30 for a day of hiking, snow-shoeing, or skiing together in the nearby Swan Mountains and foothills.
BREAKFAST AT 7:30 AND DEPARTURE FROM THE CAFE AT 8:30.
Go here for the location of the Echo Lake Cafe.
Everyone is Welcome!
Read about our Swan Ranger Outings
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This is a self perpetuating informal outdoor group, a great way for folks to make new friends, and an opportunity for folks to learn new things and new places in the northern Swan Range.
Each Saturday group determines its own destination and folks not eating at the cafe can just show up at 8:30.
Come prepared to either hike, snowshoe or cross-country ski depending on snow amounts and conditions. Be sure to bring a lunch, water, warm clothes and other items from the Ten Essentials list below. During hunting season, it is also a good idea to wear "hunter orange."
Please tell your friends and bring them along for the fun!
Always remember the “ten essentials”
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Favorite Swan Trails
The Following hikes are condensed from the book, "Day Hikes of the
Flathead" by Stormy Good. To order a copy, contact Flathead Guidebooks LLC. (406)
862-4031 flatheadguidebooks@yahoo.comColumbia Mountain: Moderate-to-difficult. Hike 4 miles round trip to a double waterfall or 12-mile round trip to the top of 7,234-foot Columbia Mountain. Great views at the top. Wildflowers are abundant both in the forest and in the alpine. Trailhead: Off Monta Vista Drive off Highway 206.
Trail No. 51.
Mt. Aeneas (image left)
Doris Lake: Easy-to-Moderate. Six miles round trip to Doris Lake and 10
miles round trip to Doris Mountain. Fishing. Great views. Access via the
Alpha and Beta Lakes Road up the South Fork. Trail No. 52 [Warning. Acess
has been temporarily limited because of logging operations.
Jewel Basin Hiking Area: A spectacular network of trails linking alpine lakes and surrounding high country. Scenery is the main draw, but fishing and wildlife watching are also excellent. Most access is via Camp Misery, at the end of Jewel Basin Road off Foothill Road. Consider a six-mile loop to the top of Mt. Aeneas; a 13-mile round trip to Crater Lake; and 8-mile round trip to Wildcat Lake; or a 22-mile round trip to Big Hawk Lake.
Bond and Trinkus Lakes: A 14-mile round trip, with a significant climb of
2,500 feet. The trailhead is off the Bond Creek Road, just south of the
village of Swan Lake. The lakes are a visual reward after hiking through the
trees, and Trinkus is known for its trout. Trail No. 21.
Swan River Natural Trail: An easy, 4-mile walk for the whole family along the "wild mile" of the Swan. This walk starts in the heart of Bigfork Village. Look for water dippers (and kayakers) amid the rapids and osprey overhead.
Bond Lake
Peter's Ridge (image right)
