 | | | | | | My Favorite Trail | | Dave Cowan | | May 03, 2010 11:50 AM | | This Spring the Trail 103.3 and Northwestern Energy will help you discover Western Montana Trails by presenting a Trail of the Week each Monday. Tracy Lopez will discuss a local Trail at 12:15 each Monday through June 6th.
Our next trail recommendation in the Crazy Canyon Trail:
For a spectacular birds-eye view of Missoula and surrounding mountains and river valleys, don't miss this Lolo Forest trail to the top of Mount Sentinel. It's a great alternative to the "M" trail up the mountain, which rises above the city just east of the University of Montana.
You'll climb steadily on the road for the first 2.6 miles, passing the edge of the 1985 Hellgate Canyon Fire. The last stretch is a steep climb to Sentinel's 5,158-foot summit. The climb is well worth the view of Hellgate Canyon and the Rattlesnake Mountains to the north, Lolo Peak and the Bitterroot Valley and mountains to the south, and the city of Missoula below you to the west.
Only foot and horse travel are recommended the last quarter-mile because the terrain is so steep. Hikers who want to continue down the west face of Sentinel can follow one of two pathways that connect with the "M" trail.
You might also want to explore several unmarked trails that branch off the lower reaches of Crazy Canyon Trail to connect with the Pattee Canyon Picnic Area.
If you travel 3.1 miles up Pattee Canyon Road from its intersection with Southwest Higgins Avenue, you'll see the trailhead on the left (north) side of the road.
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