Little Big Sky: Where to Hike, Bike, Ski, Camp, and Get Wet with Kids in Western Montana

By Jeff Schmerker

Taking your kids outside? Get the lowdown on the best spots in Western Montana to take them hiking, biking, skiing, camping, boating, and exploring.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeff Schmerker
• Release date: Nov 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386273066

Jeff Schmerker

Jeff Schmerker lives in Missoula, Montana.

Book preview

Introduction

Laura and I have been dedicated to outdoor pursuits since long before we met, and when Cooper came along we were determined that his presence would not change that. Luckily, we live in western Montana, where wilderness begins at the end of city bus routes. Of course, having Cooper tag along on our days in the woods was not easy. Much of the challenge was mixing a sport and location to his ability and mood, but he was with us practically from Day One – I carried him on my chest while cross-country skiing on Lolo Pass when he was 5 weeks old.

Sometimes getting out the door is the most difficult part of any family adventure. Knowing where to go and what to do once you are there is a big part of the Family Adventure Decision Matrix. This book presents a short run-down on where you can take your kids in western Montana and what you should do when you get there. This is not a perfect guide, and I’m definitely no pro, but I hope this guide will inspire you to wake up early one day and get after things.

So, here’s what I’m giving you: intel on adventure opportunities by sport and then by location, with just enough information for you to get started. The locales are all in western Montana – which I’m defining as everything west of Interstate 15 (though I have thrown in a few spots basically right along the freeway since they are so awesome). For a variety of reasons I won’t bore you with, there are no maps in this book – I recommend picking up a free Montana Department of Transportation road map and a recreation atlas – the Benchmark Montana Road and Recreation Atlas is an excellent investment. I’ve supplied rough directions to each location, but you definitely want to plan your route ahead of time and with a current road conditions update.

Have fun!

Acknowledgements

I’d like to acknowledge that I am not an expert at this – my main qualification for writing this book is that in the past six or so years Laura, Cooper, and I have been to a lot of different places, tried a lot of different things, taken a lot of detailed notes, and filled up a couple terabyte hard drives with a lot of photos.

I’d like to acknowledge – actually this is something that we should all be aware of – that almost all of the destinations and activities described here are on public lands: city, county, state, and federal. There is a serious push today to transfer management and in some cases ownership of federal public lands to state and even private hands. Never take these lands for granted.

I’d also like to acknowledge that there are some people who will complain that by describing locations in this book I am divulging secrets. I am sympathetic to that but also think the time is long past when we can afford to keep places to ourselves. You can’t advocate for land when you don’t know what its value is, and because of this I have come to the conclusion that we need more people in the woods, not less.

Hiking

Walking is one of your baby’s first milestones, but you don’t need to have them in boots to get kids on trails – strap them to your chest, pour them into a backpack, or simply let them ride on your shoulders.

You can spend stupid sums of money outfitting your precious bundle of joy. Big bucks are not necessary, but you do want comfy shoes and conditions-appropriate clothing. We saved a lot of headaches by splurging on a name-brand hydration backpack for our kid – this way he can carry his own water (and snacks and toy cars) and drink it when he wants. You can buy knock-offs and save money but it’s not worth it – the cheapies leak all over the place.

As with other locations in this guide, the following hikes are arranged roughly north to south.

Paradise Lake

U.S. 93 south of Eureka to Grave Creek Road. Turn on Forest Road 139 and follow it to the trailhead, which is near Little Therriault Lake.

On the trail above Paradise Lake.

If your idea of paradise is a small, forest-surrounded lake backed by impressive peaks and accessible by a good-condition, level trail, then this is your place. Paradise is a short hike from the trailhead and the perfect spot to enjoy the day, take a dip, or cast a line. Head on from here for the short hike into the Ten Lakes scenic area. Paradise Lake is just a 1.2 mile hike, but you’ll want to go all day in this beautiful area.

Swiftcurrent Lake Nature Trail

From Babb, follow Many Glacier Road to Swiftcurrent Lake.

The wild east side of Glacier National Park has some of Montana’s most extreme topography, but this trail lets you look at it, not climb it. A level path circumnavigates Swiftcurrent Lake, stopping at benches, picnic tables, and bridges along the way. Include plenty of extra time on this hike to set up family photos – it’s that kind of gorgeous. The trail is just