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Welcome to the Trail Well Traveled!
Each Friday, in partnership with Montana Wilderness Association we will feature a new western Montana trail and then give one lucky listener some cool goodies to help them embark on their journey!
This week Craig picked a trail we already featured last September – but its proximity to Missoula combined with the spring thaw still underway makes this a great one to revisit!
Even better: Montana Wilderness Association has included it on its schedule of upcoming guided hikes. More about that below …
Blodgett Creek Trail #19
A fairly easy hike not too far out of town with awesome scenery!
Roundtrip: 25 miles
Directions: From Hamilton, drive west on Main Street and keep going until you cross the bridge over the Bitterroot River. Just on the other side ofthe bridge, turn right (north) onto Ricketss Road and drive another half-mile until you reach a three-way intersection. There, turn left (west) onto Blodgett Camp Road. Stay right at the intersection for another 2.5 miles.
What to expect: Blodgett Canyon is nestled in the Bitterroots, where excellent hiking, fishing and backpacking can be found almost anytime of the year.
This trail follows Blodgett Creek all the way to Blodgett Lake, which is about 12.5 miles one-way. What makes this place great is the relative ease of hiking on this trail – there aren’t many hills to climb nor too many obstacles to hump over.
If backpacking is your thing, you will find some great spots all along the way to the lake to camp and or relax for the afternoon. The designated campsites aren’t hard to miss. There are also some great small meadows on the other side of the creek if you are looking for a little more seclusion.
A little more than halfway to Blodgett Lake you will find a side trail (Trail 303) that shoots up to High Lake. This trail is steep and climbs steadily for about 1,400 feet but can offer some great wildlife viewing if you are lucky.
Only the upper part of the Blodgett Creek trail is in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.
Tip: If you’d like a more detailed and robust hiking experience, consider signing up for the Montana Wilderness Association’s guided hikes HERE.
From the main page, click the region in which you’re interested in exploring and you’ll see the full schedule. The Blodgett Canyon hike is set for July 15.
Learn more about this trail, file your own trip report and photos, or check out some other great hikes at hikewildmontana.org. And don’t forget to tune in to the Trail 103.3 each Friday at 9:50 am for the next featured trail and your chance to win!
Big thanks to Rangitsch Bros RV for sponsoring the Trail Well Traveled. Proudly serving Missoula for over 56 years, whatever camper best suits your needs Rangitsch Bros has got it!
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