Distinctly Montana Magazine

d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a • s u m m e r 2 0 1 5 22 Overshadowed by its famous neighbor to the east, Glacier National Park, 40,000- acre tEn lakES SCEnIC arEa, just shy of the Canadian border, boasts an abundance of shallow, grass-fringed lakes suited for foot- soaking amid rocky spires and wildflowers. Proposed for Wilderness designation by the Forest Service for over 30 years, the Ten Lakes Scenic Area remains a wild island amidst a sea of timber activity. Acres of in- tact old-growth forest and expansive alpine meadows make for some of the best bruin habitat in western Montana. While hikers are unlikely to spot a grizzly, wildlife is plentiful in the area, including deer, moose, and the by-turns wary and gregarious grouse. Two-legged locals also revere the area for its bumper crops of huckleberries, but visitors will- ing to walk can easily get their fill. On the edge of the Ten Lakes Scenic Area, BIg thErrIault and lIttlE thErrIault lakE CaMPgroundS offer gentle walks in addition to some of the best tent side views in the Northwest. Departing from Big erriault Lake Campground, the Big er- riault Lake loop trail wanders just under two miles through prime berry-picking country. Hardy hikers can pick up the steep trail to Stahl Peak and its first-come, first- served fire lookout two miles from the lake. At Little erriault Lake, a 1.25- mile ADA-accessible gravel path grants access to prime fishing and huckleberry picking for campers inclined to forage for their food. Hikers interested in a daylong trek can sample a handful of picturesque lakes — with plenty of huckleberries as an appetizer — on the 10.5-mile BluE- BIrd BaSIn looP. From the Bluebird Ba- sin trailhead near Little erriault Lake, climb through huckleberry-laden forest 1.5 miles to shallow — and aptly named — Paradise Lake. Continue around its grassy shores for another 10 minutes of trail time, bearing right at two junctions, to Bluebird Lake. Turn around here for a kid-friendly 5-mile hike. Otherwise, climb around 7,350-foot Green Mountain and descend to Wolverine Lakes. To complete the loop, continue another 2.5 miles to the Wolverine Lakes Trailhead, from which the 3.5-mile Clarence Ness trail connects back to the beginning. T h e T o bac c o Va l l e y M o N T a N a ' s b a N a N a b e l T Children love the old farming equipment at the Tobacco valley Historical village. Hikers and their two-legged friends find paradise Lake, in the Ten Lakes Scenic Area, aptly named. Sunrise illuminates the peaks behind Little Therriault Lake in the Ten Lakes Scenic Area. For a related article in the DM Archives, see: "The Beautiful Bitterroot valley" by FWp, Fall 2007 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL

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