Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Named for the white deposits found around the hot sulfur springs here, White Sulphur
Springs (population 950, elevation 5,043 feet) was a gathering spot for various Native
Americans tribes for years before James Brewer stumbled on the area in 1886 and deve-
loped the hot springs into a resort. The town boomed, first as the “Saratoga of the West,”
then with lead and silver mines, and then as a cattle town and commercial region for this
vast agricultural area. There is nothing booming about White Sulphur Springs these days,
but it does have its own charm. In the midst of the prairies, it is close to excellent floating
on the Smith River and skiing at Showdown Ski Area, and there are wonderful relics from
its glory days: A castle sits atop the hill in town, and the hot springs still gurgle with pur-
portedly healing waters.
Castle Museum
Built in 1892 by merchant Bryon Roger Sherman,
The Castle
is a remarkable Victorian
mansion that now houses the
Meagher County Museum
(310 2nd Ave. NE, 406/547-2324,
10am-5pm daily May 15-Sept. 15, $5 adults, $3 seniors and children under 13). It was con-
structed with hand-cut granite blocks hauled by oxen from the Castle Mountains, 12 miles
away. It is appointed with period furniture and original fixtures—Italian marble sinks as
well as crystal and brass light fixtures. Sherman supplied electricity to the entire town, mak-
ing White Sulphur Springs one of the first towns in the state to have electricity.
FLOATING THE SMITH RIVER
In the center of Montana and the middle of nowhere is the Smith River, a blue-ribbon
trout stream and one of the most sought-after rivers in the state for float trips. There
are no services and no road access along the 59-mile stretch of river between Camp
Baker and Eden Bridge. The remoteness of the Smith, coupled with stunning lime-
stone canyons and vast swaths of ranch land, make this river a stunning destination.
Aside from the splendid scenery, the fish add to the river's tremendous appeal.
The rainbow and brown trout populations are thriving, as are the native whitefish,
which are somewhat unfairly maligned. Perhaps because they are easier to catch
(thanks in part to a bigger and more circular “sucker” mouth), or because they don't
have the dramatic colors of a trout, or maybe just because they compete for food and
space with trout, whitefish are often called “trash fish” by fly fishers.
