Flathead Indian Country - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 303

Atthefootofthemountain,WhitefishLakestretchessevenmilesintoFlatheadNation-
al Forest. The town of Whitefish, on the lake's southern tip, touts itself as the “recreation
capital of Montana” and hosts one of the state's most exuberant winter carnivals, held each
February.
12. Hungry Horse Dam
How they survived is a mystery, but when a feisty pair of freight horses named Tex and
Jerry wandered away from their logging team during the winter of 1900-01, they headed
straight for the pages of history. Found a month later slogging around in chest-deep snow,
thetwowerehalf-starvedbutotherwisenonetheworseforwear—promptingthecomment,
rich in Western understatement, that this was “mighty hungry horse country.”
Just as marvelous as their tale of survival is the Hungry Horse Dam, an arched wall of
concrete 564 feet tall and about 2,000 feet across, capable of producing enough electricity
to light a city five times the size of Missoula. Behind the dam, 34-mile-long Hungry Horse
Reservoir reaches deep into backcountry forest. Encircled by a gravel road, the reservoir is
flanked by the Great Bear Wilderness and Jewel Basin Hiking Area.
13. Swan Valley
Heading south, the drive passes through the village of Bigfork, heads east on Rte. 209, and
turns south onto Rte. 83—a beautiful stretch of road that, for more than 90 miles, parallels
the Swan and the Clearwater rivers before terminating at Clearwater Junction nearly due
south.
Presided over by the stony peaks of the Swan Range to the east and the Mission Range
tothewest,thehighwayseemstomeldgracefullywiththeidyllicwildernessthatsurrounds
it. The Swan River National Wildlife Refuge, at the southern tip of Swan Lake, is but one
of several pleasant stopping places along the route, and it promises superb wildlife watch-
ing. In this undeveloped tract of swampland and lakeshore, keep alert for signs of moose,
bears, and bald eagles.
14. Holland Lake
It's hard to say precisely what makes this small body of water so special. Perhaps it's the
lake's remoteness, its splendid sense of isolation; perhaps, too, it's the unassuming beauty
ofthe place, the utter calm ofthe lake'sblue surface inthe mists ofdawn orthe blaze ofan
evening sunset.