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Bitterroot Valley Community Guide
- Heather Lupton
- Oct 29, 2022
- 1 min read
Updated: May 5, 2024
Ravalli County, Montana
Download your 20-page FREE Western Montana Bitterroot Valley Guide here!
The Bitterroot Valley is nestled between the Sapphire mountain range to the east and the Bitterroot mountain range to the west bisected by the Bitterroot River which runs the length of the valley. This natural setting creates a moderate year round climate which earned the Valley the reputation as the “Banana Belt of Montana."
Enjoy unsurpassed beauty along the 96-mile stretch from north to south. The rich cultural and historical heritage is equal to the worldwide reputation for hunting, fishing, hiking, boating and rafting, skiing and a variety of other wonderful outdoor activities. The valley offers western-style adventure and Montana hospitality.
Weather
For more weather information, click here.
Lodging & Dining Options
Where to stay while visiting is pretty important. Follow this link for all the options. Let's face it. We all get hungry. In my case, I get "hangry." For dining options in the Bitterroot, follow this link.
Airport Information
Bitterroot Valley Airports
The Stevensville Airport is on the north end of the valley at an elevation of 3,620 feet. The hard surface runway is 3,800 feet in length.
The Ravalli County Airport is located in Hamilton and is in the middle of the valley at an elevation of 3,638 feet. The runway is 4,200 feet in length and is currently undergoing expansion efforts.
Missoula Airports Missoula International Airport Missoula houses the closet international airport, approximately 45 miles north of Hamilton. The airport features rental car agencies, a full service restaurant and lounge, snack bar and deli, gift shops, as well as a travel service.
Community Events
For a list of community events, follow this link to the Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce website.
Town/City Information
Darby Information
Darby sits at the far southern end of the valley near the East and West Forks of the Bitterroot River. The town was historically a lumber town with several operating lumber mills and a reputation for being a rough and tumble western town. The lumber industry eventually went away starting in the 1980's and no longer exists in Darby but there is a strong sense of community and lots of activity particularly around the buzz generated by the filming of Paramount Networks "Yellowstone" with Kevin Costner.
Today, Darby is a hub for rodeo activity where most summer weekends you'll find full on rodeo activities or perhaps just a bull-a-rama. To find out more information about the Darby Rodeo Lineup, visit the Darby Rodeo Association website.
Visit the town of Darby's website for more information.
Recreation and Activities
Darby offers great access to the Bitterroot Selway Wildnerness, access to the Anaconda - Pintler Wilderness east up Sula. The town of Darby is less than 30 minutes for the slopes of Lost Trail Powder Mountain; a terrific ski hill along the Idaho border. Fishing the East and West Forks of the Bitterroot as well as the main stem provides great action and you can always enjoy the boating and water sports activities at Painted Rocks State Park and Lake Como.
Schools
The Darby School District comprises k-12 with the full compliment of sports and academic activities. Check out the School at this LINK.
Neighborhoods
The town of Darby consists of roughly 900 people with a good sized population along the western edge of the Bitterroot Selway. The communities of Conner, the West Fork, Sula and the East Fork are all part of the greater Darby area.
Hamilton Information
Hamilton was founded by Copper King, Marcus Daly. Daly was from Ireland and the landscape of the valley reminded him of the Swiss Alps. He built his primary home, Riverside, on the east side of the Bitterroot River and the property can be toured to this day. The mansion is not to be missed and hosts a variety of festivals and activities throughout the year. You can find the website for this historical mansion at dalymansion.org
Hamilton is home to a variety of industries. Interesting fact - Hamilton hosts Rocky Mountain Laboratory, a biosafety level 4 lab, one of just 13 in the United States. In addition, Hamilton also hosts GlaxoSmithKline, which is a facility that employs countless people with PhDs.
To visit the city of Hamilton's website, go to cityofhamilton.net
Recreation, Activities, and Dining
Hamilton boasts many unique shops and restaurants, breweries, and access to first rate rural medical facilities like Bitterroot Health.
The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is accessible from a number of trailheads along the Bitterroot from almost every direction. If you're here for the world-renowned fishing, there are a host of fly fishing shops and guides throughout the valley. Follow this link for more information about hiking in the Bitterroot Valley.
Hamilton is also home to the Stock Farm Club, an exclusive and private community nestled at the base of the Sapphire Mountains on the east side where membership includes such notables as Charles Schwab and Huey Lewis.
The "average Joe" can enjoy a game of golf at the Hamilton Golf Club, just down the road with the same views.
Check out this LINK to the Chamber of Commerce website on recreation in the Bitterroot Valley.
Schools
Daly Elementary and the Hamilton High School have recently underwent construction and improvements to bring state of the art facilities to the children of its residents. The school can be further explored by going to their website.
Neighborhoods
The main portion of Hamilton was platted in the late 1800's and has since added numerous neighborhoods including the Arbors, Stonegate among several others. The population is approximately 5,000 in town and rough 13,000 in the 59840 zip Code.
Corvallis Information
Corvallis lies at the heart of the Bitterroot Valley in Ravalli County, MT with roughly a population of roughly 1,000 people. Corvallis is another great agricultural community which has seen rapid development over the last two decades.
The soil in Corvallis was reported by National Geographic in an article in the 1950's as being some of the most fertile on earth. The valley floor has plenty of water and is great for growing pretty much anything.
The west side is the gateway to the Bitterroot Selway through Fred Burr Creek and the treed slopes are home to some great properties nestled in the trees. The east side has fantastic views of the entire valley and the panoramic views of the Bitterroot Range as it slips into Idaho.
Recreation and Activities
Corvallis has a fishing access site at Woodside Cut off which connects Montana State Highway 269 with Highway 93.
Dining
The town also has a couple of restaurants that deserve mention; The Wild Mare for fine dining and Memories Cafe for casual dining.
Schools
The Corvallis Blue Devils enjoy one of the finest school systems in Montana.
Neighborhoods
Due to the Big Ditch on the east side, the east side of Corvallis arguably has the most dependable irrigation water in the valley. Most of Corvallis is rural with parcels from 2 to 20 acres being common.
Victor Information
Victor was originally called Garfield after President Garfield, but the name was changed in 1881. Victor was a chief of the Salish People and was born in the valley in roughly 1790 and actually had memories of Lewis and Clark coming through the Bitterroot Valley. He passed on to the great hunting grounds in 1870 prior to the Salish being forced into the Flathead Valley in 1891. Imagine, he was 80 years old when the average expectancy of life was in the low 40's in 1871.
See the history of the unincorporated community of Victor at the city website.
Recreation and Activities
Victor is a great location to find fun activities at a few of the local watering holes, fish along the banks of the Bitterroot River and put in to float at Bell Crossing fishing access site. You also can travel into the Bitterroot Selway to the beautiful Big Creek Lake.
Victor is located in the central part of the valley and you can find all of the activities of the river and wilderness in just a short journey east or west.
Schools
The Victor Pirates are a special part of this small community of roughly 900 people. The Victor School is is a class C school for athletics and they have excellent success.
Neighborhoods
Victor has a community sewer district and Victor town, while not incorporated with any civic government, is comprised of smaller parcels with individual wells.
The surrounding area is predominately on the westside of the valley where silver was once mined and you will still see dairy cattle. Victor has a local elk populations that give rise to plenty of sightings up Sweathouse Creek.
Stevensville Information
Stevensville is the oldest permanent settlement in the state of Montana and one of the oldest in the interior northwest. The settlement was established in 1841 around St. Mary’s Mission. Today, Stevensville is a quaint little community with a population in town of roughly 1,800 people.
Stevensville was at the heart of the Apple Boom during the late 1800's and up to 1919. The area has a strong agricultural history and at one time was a large producer of sugar beets.
Recreation and Activities
Today Stevensville is vibrant community with great store fronts and the gateway to the Bitterroot Selway Wilderness as well as the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge, historic St. Marys Mission, Fort Owen State Park and some of the most spectacular architecture in Montana.
Stevensville is a great place for hunting, fishing, floating the river or golfing at Whitetail Golf Course.
Learn about Stevensville and check out some of the local groups like the Stevensville Playhouse and the Stevensville Main Street Association.
Schools
The Stevensville Yellow Jackets are the mascot for the local school system.
Neighborhoods
Stevensville is an old community. Much of the downtown burned not long after the start of the 20th century. The community is represented by the 59870 zip code and the town itself has numerous additions to the original townsite. There was the May Addition which includes some of the most historical examples of Victorian Architecture in western Montana.
There is also the George A. Smith addition on the southwest side of town and the Lee Dayton Addition adjoining the town to the southeast. Further to the west there are the newest additions to town in Creekside and Twin Creeks subdivisions.
The Burnt Fork has become one of the most protected open space using conservation easements on larger ranches. The Three Mile community is anchored by Lone Rock School, the oldest continuously operating school in the state. The historic agricultural area south of town has several new communities such as the Vistas on 5 acre irrigated parcels. The westside properties tuck up to the wilderness.
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