Loop Trail on Blue Mountain

We drove to the Blue Mountain Recreation Area south of Missoula. Montana and did a 5 mile loop with 1,000 ft of gain out of the many trails on Blue Mountain. We hiked through the tall pine trees, and 

enjoyed seeing fall colors.

So many beautiful trails here.

More fall colors.

Views towards Missoula and the Clark Fork and the Bitterroot Rivers

A few of the larches were starting to turn golden.

a golden larch

some of the wildflowers, fungi, berries and fall colors we saw along our route today:

 

  

 

 

 

Maclay Flat Nature Trail Summer Hike Montana

After our hike to South O'Brien Creek Loop in the Blue Mountain Recreation Area, we stopped to do the 2 mile Maclay Flat Nature Trail, also in the Blue Mountain Recreation Area.

This is a nice flat hike.

Part of the trail goes along the Bitterroot River.

We walked passed many fields of wildflowers and grass.

Part of the hike is in the pine forest.

We could look across the meadows to the Blue Mountain,

and in the opposite direction, Missoula at the base of Mount Jumbo and Mount Sentinel.

Lots of wildflowers and












butterflies to be seen.

Part of the trail goes along the Big Flat Irrigation Ditch.

We saw water bugs here.








Some of the many wildflowers and plants we saw on this hike today: