Scenic Area Drives

Skalakaho Falls - Photo by Carol Woodring

If you are looking for beautiful scenery only minutes away, you have come to the right place. Listed here are some suggestions for a great day drive.

This list of drives was provided by the Bitterroot National Forest Service.

SKALKAHO FALLS

DARBY RANGER DISTRICT Skalkaho Falls is located along Skalkaho Highway (MT-38), in between Hamilton and Phillipsburg. 3 miles south of Hamilton, turn left on MT38/Skalkaho High-way and continue another 22 miles. The falls will be locat-ed on your left. Skalkaho Falls is located in the Sapphire Mountains within Bitterroot National Forest. The water of Skalkaho Creek cascades down over 150 feet, providing impressive views and great photo opportunities. Most accessible during late spring through early autumn. Travel on Skalkaho Highway is slow due to narrow curves and limited pull-outs. During winter, only the first 10 miles of the road is plowed for automobiles.

MCCART LOOKOUT

DARBY/SULA RANGER DISTRICT From Sula, MT head northwest 0.2 miles on Highway 93. Turn northeast (right) onto East Fork Rd. (county road #472). Go approximately 15 miles and turn south (right) onto Forest Service Road #435 (Johnson Peak Trail). Travel 5.5 miles to the trailhead. Hike about 1.5 miles to the lookout tower. The tower is situated east of the Bitterroot Valley, at an elevation of 7,115 feet. It was named for William McCart, who settled the area but failed to com-plete his homestead entry to patent. It is poised on the edge of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness and offers beautiful views of the Pintler Mountains to the east and the Bitterroot Mountains to the west.

SULA PEAK LOOKOUT

DARBY/SULA RANGER DISTRICT This peak has an active fire look-out. It can be driven up on a good road starting from For-est Service Road 5727, just south of the Spring Gulch Campground on highway 93. The drive is 3.6 miles to the top. Visiting hours for the Lookout are from 9:30AM to 6:00PM during the fire season.

BAKER LAKE VISTA POINT

WEST FORK RANGER DISTRICT From Darby, drive south on U.S. Highway 93 for 4.4 miles to the West Fork Road, Route 473. Turn right and drive seven miles west to the Baker Lake Road. Turn right on Baker Lake Road and drive one mile to a junction. Take the right fork. Drive another mile to a second junction. Take the right fork again, and drive to the end another 7.5 miles. This road gains considerable amount of elevation, climbing the mountain via switchbacks. The road is also very narrow in some places. Total driving time on the dirt road can be 30 minutes so plan ahead. About a half mile before the trailhead you will come to an overlook with a giant rock. Pull off to the right and walk out for a breathtaking view. About a half mile up the road is the trailhead. A short but vigorous hike through forest leads to Baker Point, a large rock outcropping with panoramic views. After this point the trail levels out a bit and continues on to Baker Lake, sitting in the Basin below Trapper Peak (the Bitterroot’s tallest peak). One-way mileage to Baker Lake is 1 1/4 miles.

Getting Pickled in the ‘Root

By Russ Lawrence

When Rick Trauth moved back to the Bitterroot in 2018, he was already hooked, and he needed to make a new connection. Drugs? No, worse. Trauth had been recently introduced to the sport of pickleball, and he was looking for partners and a place to play. When he couldn’t rustle up either, he found a space, taught a clinic, and the Bitterroot pickleball boom was on. Pickleball had its origin in 1965, and is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. With more than four million players nationwide -- and more joining their ranks every day – Trauth has plenty of company on the court these days. “It’s a great way to meet people,” he said. Pickleball is a mash-up of tennis, badminton, and Ping-Pong, played with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes, reminiscent of a whiffle ball. A pickleball court is roughly a quarter the size of a tennis court, with a slightly lower net. (The sport has nothing to do with pickles – the origin of the name is a separate story!) The game is almost always played as a doubles sport, and it rewards skill more than it rewards power. For all those reasons, the sport is a magnet for players aged 60-plus. The ball is slower than in tennis, and playing doubles on a smaller court, the players don’t have to run as far – or stress their knees as much. Trauth says that he maintains an email list of local players with about 150 names on it, half of whom play regularly. Stevensville now has three pickleball courts at Lewis & Clark Park, open during for the summer season; in Hamilton, players utilize five courts indoors at the First Interstate building at the fairgrounds in fall, winter, and spring, and have renovated the tennis court at the Daly Mansion into four courts, available from April through September, although exact dates may vary. The outdoor courts are available only to players who have paid membership dues to Bitterroot Pickleball ($25 per person, or $40 for a couple), and play at the First Interstate center is $5 per session. More information is available at the club’s website, www. bitterrootpickleball.net, or email bitterrootpickleball@gmail.com . Trauth, a one-time tennis pro, is an evangelist for the sport. “People learn quickly enough to start having fun right away, but then can continue to improve their whole life long.” Trauth will conduct weekly skill drills at the Stevensville and Daly Mansion courts for players of all levels. “Skill drills really level the field,” Trauth said, noting that stronger players are often outmatched by more skilled players. The skill drill sessions Trauth teaches are by donation, with proceeds benefitting either local food banks, or SAFE. For Trauth, it’s all about building a community, whether speaking of pickleball players, or in a larger sense. The Bitterroot College got on board with pickleball, and offers seasonal classes for beginner and intermediate players at the First Interstate building with instructor Ray McNeal. Check out the Continuing Education offerings at www.umt.edu/bitterroot-college/ . An increasing number of private courts are also popping up around the valley. In Florence, Silas Torrey created indoor pickleball courts at his Bread and Roses facility. Contact them via their Facebook page for more information. Some homeowners have installed their own courts, both indoors and outdoors. Pickleball has a reputation as a sport that can become an allconsuming passion, but if you get hooked, at least in the Bitterroot you’ll now be in good company!