Fodor's Montana and Wyoming by Fodor's Travel Guides

Author:Fodor's Travel Guides [Fodor’s Travel Guides]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fodor's Travel
Published: 2021-08-17T00:00:00+00:00

Hamilton

21 miles south of Stevensville via U.S. 93.

Home to retirees, gentleman ranchers, and the Ravalli County Museum, Hamilton (pop. 5,000) is a gateway to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. It was established by 19th-century industrialist Marcus Daly to house employees at his 22,000-acre Bitterroot Stock Farm. There he raised thoroughbred racehorses, funding the venture with part of the fortune he made mining copper in Montana. His own home, the Daly Mansion, is open for tours. The Bitterroot River offers exceptional fishing for wild Westslope cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout, and there are excellent guides in Darby and Missoula to help you find the fish.

GETTING HERE AND AROUND

Hamilton is 50 miles south of Missoula via U.S. Highway 93. A car is essential, since few hotels have an airport shuttle and many of the places to see are far apart and off the beaten path.

VISITOR INFORMATION

CONTACTS Ravalli County Tourism. wwww.visitbitterrootvalley.com.

s Sights

Daly Mansion

HOUSE | FAMILY | Over the last decade, copper king Marcus Daly’s 24,000-square-foot, 56-room Daly Mansion, with 25 bedrooms, 15 baths, and five Italian marble fireplaces, has been meticulously restored to preserve its history and elegance. The showplace of Hamilton, this Georgian Revival–style house is open to the public, and tours run every two hours, starting at 11 am. There’s also a printed walking guide available to the extensive grounds. A number of events and festivities are held at the mansion during the summer. E251 Eastside Hwy. P406/363–6004 wdalymansion.org A$15.

Ravalli County Museum

MUSEUM | The Ravalli County Museum, in the former courthouse, contains exhibits on natural history, fly-fishing, Native Americans, Lewis and Clark, and other subjects related to the region. During the Saturday Series (most Saturdays 2 pm, $5), speakers share local history and lore. E205 Bedford St. P406/363–3338 wwww.ravallimuseum.org A$3 CClosed Sun.–Tues.

Selway-Bitterroot National Forest

FOREST | Hamilton, like Stevensville and Darby, is on the doorstep of the 1.3-million-acre Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area and is not far from the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness Area to the east. Hundreds of miles of trails wend through the forests, where visitors may encounter bears, elk, moose, deer, and bighorn sheep. There are also songbirds and birds of prey such as eagles and owls. EBitterroot Naitonal Forest Office, 1801 N. 1st Ave. P406/363–7100 wwww.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot AFree.

Skalkaho Highway

SCENIC DRIVE | Three miles south of Hamilton, turn east onto Route 38, also known as the Skalkaho Highway, and you’ll find yourself on a beautiful route leading into the Sapphire Mountains and on to Philipsburg and the Georgetown Lake area. This fair-weather road is best traveled in summer, since 20 miles of it are gravel. Mountain bikers tour here, and there are plenty of hiking trails through the 23,000-acre Skalkaho Wildlife Preserve. Note that trailers are not recommended. Forest Road 1352 into the preserve is closed October 15 to December 1, making that a fine time for nonmotorized travel. Only 10 miles of the Skalkaho Highway are plowed in winter, which means the area is excellent for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. EHamilton.

r Restaurants

Bitter Root Brewing

$ | CONTEMPORARY | Meet the brewmaster, sample a Bitterroot Bock or Single Hop Pale Ale and enjoy live music Thursday and Saturday.

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