Blodgett Canyon Trailhead

The Bitterroot Range is scored with more than two dozen deep canyons along its eastern face, and Blodgett is among the most spectacular. Long ago glaciers ground down through the mountains here and carved this U-shaped trench into the pale granite of the Idaho Batholith, a vast body of ancient rock that forms the spine of the range. The result is a canyon of clean, steep walls, with the lower cliffs standing well over two thousand feet above the creek.

Those walls are the draw for climbers. Blodgett is regarded as one of the finest big-wall climbing areas in Montana, and on a good day you may spot tiny figures inching up routes that run a thousand feet or more of sustained granite. On the higher ledges, mountain goats pick their way along, and the canyon has also served as a nesting site in the effort that brought peregrine falcons back to the Bitterroots after they nearly vanished.

The canyon and creek take their name from Joseph Blodgett, a packer who worked the Bitterroot Valley in the 1860s and later settled along the water that now carries his name. It is a small, human footnote to a landscape that dwarfs any single person, a reminder of the early travelers who moved through these mountains before the roads and towns arrived.

From the trailhead at the mouth of the canyon, the trail sets off along Blodgett Creek and keeps to an easy grade for the first few miles, which is exactly what makes it so welcoming. You can turn a stroll of a mile or two into a satisfying outing, resting on the rocks by the water while the granite towers close in above you, or you can push on deeper into the canyon toward the falls.

The classic goal is the waterfall a few hours in, where the creek spills over ledges in a burst of white water, reached by a full-day out-and-back walk. A sturdy footbridge crosses the creek along the way, a fine place to sit and listen to the rush of moving water. Beyond the falls the trail continues for many more miles into the wilderness for backpackers, but most visitors are content with the day hike and the endless views straight up.

In the summer of 2000 a large wildfire swept the lower canyon, burning the forest for a couple of miles above the trailhead. Two decades on, that stretch is a living lesson in how a mountain forest heals, open and sunny with young trees and wildflowers coming back among the silvered snags. It means the first miles offer less shade, so an early start and a full water bottle make the walk far more pleasant.

The trailhead lies just a handful of miles west of Hamilton, reached by paved and then gravel roads through the ranch country at the foot of the mountains. There is a small forest-service campground and a vault toilet at the trailhead, but no water beyond the creek and no other services, so bring everything you need and top off in town first. A dry day makes the gravel road and the trail far easier.

This is bear country, both black bears and grizzlies, so carry bear spray where you can reach it, make noise as you walk, and give any wildlife plenty of room. Give yourself a full day if you are aiming for the falls, or just an unhurried hour or two if you only want to taste the canyon. Either way, Blodgett rewards looking up: it is a rare stretch of high alpine drama you can reach on a short drive and a gentle walk, tucked into the Bitterroots for anyone willing to follow the creek.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.