More Summer Fun

Biking

Bicycling is a big summer sport for a lot of people with tour groups bringing people through weekly. If you want a taste of the sport, bring your bike and try out these locations:

• Boot Tree Road: The Old Timer’s Boot Tree is gone but a new one is starting up again. Look for the boots – and other foot paraphernalia—being tossed into the branches. A dirt road going through some post logging areas, but not too strenuous and nice views. The road is located just east of Ovando.

• Great Divide Trail: The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is the longest mountain bike touring route in the world. It begins at the port of Roosville in Montana and, following the Continental Divide as closely as possible, meanders 2400 miles on it's way to Antelope Wells, New Mexico on the Mexican border. My humble opinion is that the Route is a must do for anyone who considers themselves a mountain bike enthusiast. Why? Because it will open your eyes to a whole new way to enjoy your mountain bike and in the process see an amazing part of this country.

  Not everyone has two months to wander through the Rocky Mountains. The good news? You don't have to! The Great Divide Route invites you to explore it in parts and pieces with numerous opportunities to do a week or two at a time. A fantastic section, although challenging, is to start at Roosville and ride to Helena (10-14 days). You will see a spectacular part of Montana, you're guaranteed to meet some characters, you will see tons of wildlife, you will be challenged, you will be rewarded, and you will come away with an overwhelming appreciation of what you and your bike can do.

Horseback Riding

If you don’t have your own horse you can contact Lake Upsata Guest Ranch during their non-summer hours and they can try to fit you in with a trail ride. If you have your own horse, there is many a mile for you to travel.

• Monture Creek Trailhead: Corrals, watering area, large parking for trailers, camping sites and mile after mile of beautiful trail to follow. What more do you need? From Ovando, take the west exit across the highway right onto Monture Creek Road. Follow road approximately 15 minutes. Just before bridge that crosses Monture Creek, look for entrance to camping/trailhead. This trail leads you into the heart of the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Ghost Towns

• Garnet Ghost Town: Beautiful timbered setting for of the most intact yet mostly unpreserved Ghost Towns in Montana. Stroll through leaning homes, a restored hotel that was once the largest 3 story hotel in the state and commercial buildings under renovation. Garnet is a historic mining ghost town located in west central Montana and sits at an elevation of about 6,000 feet at the head of First Chance Creek. It was named after the brown garnet rock which was used as an abrasive and a semi-precious stone found in the area. The town dates back to 1895 and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Garnet Preservation Association, a non-profit citizens group. More than 30 buildings have been preserved. Visitors to the ghost town will find a Visitor Center, interpretive signs and self-guided trails, as well as books, cards and other memorabilia. Leashed pets are permitted. The town is open to visitors all year. The road is closed to wheeled vehicles from January 1st to April 30th. In winter Garnet is a popular snowmobile and cross-country ski trip. Winter cabin rentals are available.

  Garnet offers a wonderful ghost town experience without commercialization. The town never had a bonanza strike but still serves as one of Montana's most impressive ghost towns.$2 per person charge. Tour pamphlets available. The dirt and gravel road going up the hill can get quite wash-boarded during the summer so prepare to take your time getting here.

  
  Garnet Ghost Town

• Marysville Ghost Town: With a brewery, 27 saloons, 3,000 residents and three newspapers, Marysville once was one of the most thriving gold towns in the area. It remains one of the best preserved. The local Catholic church was fully restored in the 1980s, and old abandoned buildings still line Marysville's street.

River Inner Tubing

• Nothing is better on a hot summer day then to gently float down the Blackfoot River in an inner tube. Tubes are available at the Blackfoot Angler in Ovando. For a nice, short trip [the water can still be quite cold] put in at Russell Gates Campground, only 7 miles west of Ovando off Highway 200, and float down to the Sperry Grade take out. This trip can take as little as 45 minutes. Rated K for Kids of All Ages.
• For a longer ride put in at Scotty Brown Bridge and take out at Sperry Grade. This trip can take up to 2 hours. So bring water and a snack.
• For the Epic Journey take 4 or more hours out of your day, put in at Russell Gates and take out at Sunset Bridge where the Clearwater River meets the Blackfoot. Few people have taken this trip since you can get quite cold being in the water that long, but you get to hit some pretty awesome rapids that look like mountains on an inner tube.