Trippin' With Scott
Can you Canoe? Canoeing the Clearwater River Trail
By Scott Poniewaz, 6-20-05
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| A kayaker takes a moment to relax on the Clearwater River Trail.
Photo by Scott Poniewaz/New West |
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One of the great things about this canoe route is that you can do it with one
car, thus eliminating the headache of shuttling two. The float starts just
a couple miles north of Seeley Lake from a well-marked trailhead, then takes
you for a one to two-hour float through marsh and forest giving excellent opportunities
for bird-watching and wildlife sightings. My trip Sunday took me just
feet away from a Mule Deer and I spotted a Bald Eagle soaring overhead.
There are also a couple great spots to pull the canoe over and enjoy a picnic
lunch. About a half-mile downstream, there is a small area with a sand landing
located at a horseshoe turn perfect for a rest stop. When we passed it, it was occupied with couple beer guts and a naked baby, but it looked like a great place to stop and take a dip.
After the leisurely paddle down a couple miles of water, you reach the north
end of Seeley Lake, where you tuck along the left side of the shoreline inside
the buoy’s (this keeps you from being tipped by the waves of jet skis
and ski boats), and take a short paddle to the Seeley Lake Ranger Station, which
has a landing and the trailhead to the 1.5-mile hike back to the parking lot,
where you can retrieve your vehicle. Along the way back there is a viewing blind,
which allows for some great bird-watching opportunities. I was fortunate to have the excuse of a bad back in physical therapy, so my girlfriend Katie was kind enough to make the run back to the car, while I caught some sun (just enough to leave a nice hat tanline on my back).
The slow current makes it easy to navigate and is short enough for even the
shortest of attention spans, making it a perfect day trip for the whole family.
After a day on the water, I recommend a stop at Lindey’s Prime Steak House
on the main drag of Highway 83 in the town of Seeley Lake. The choices are limited (there are three
items on the menu and they all are different cuts of steak) but it's set on Seeley Lake,
offering a great rustic dining atmosphere and beautiful views. If you are a vegetarian, Lindey's might be worth a cheat -- it has some of the
finest cuts of meat in Western Montana I've tasted. And if you're not into cheating, even the the potatoes and garlic bread are worth a stop.
Driving from Missoula:
Take I-90 East to the Bonner exit and take MT Hwy 200 north to Clearwater Junction.
Take a left on to MT Hwy 83 when you see the big cow in front of the Conoco
station. Take Hwy 83 about 18.7 miles through the town of Seeley Lake to a signed
trailhead on your left for the Clearwater Canoe Trail. Turn onto the dirt road
and follow it about .7 miles to a parking area and canoe launch. There is signage
at the launch area, but if you would prefer a brochure on the trail, the Seeley
Lake Ranger Station, about 1-mile before the turn for the trailhead and the
take-out point, will be able to help you out with that.
Directions for the route:
The trail is pretty straightforward, once afloat, there is only one direction
to go, however there is one tricky spot, where the water appears to fork, keep
to your right at this point, it is about .8 miles downstream. Beyond that, the
river leads the way, but when you reach Seeley Lake, be sure to stay on the
eastern side of the lake and just tuck left along that shoreline until you get
to the easily recognizable landing area at the Ranger Station. Pull your canoe
to the parking area, then take the easy 1.5-mile hiking trail back to the top
parking area.
Canoe Rentals in Missoula:
The Trailhead-406.543.6966
($30/day, includes paddles and pfd’s for two people, as well as vehicle
tie-downs)
Pipestone Mountaineering-406.721.1620
($30/day, includes paddles, pfd’s and vehicle tie-downs)
The Canoe Rack-406.251.0040
($40/day, includes paddles, pfd’s and vehicle tie-downs. Rentals able
to be put toward purchase of new canoe, ask them for more details)