Montana Goat lick, Flathead River Area, Swan River National Wildlife refuge and Lolo National Forest.

Another trip to the Glacier National Park area and more, a five hundred and fifty mile loop of some of the greatest scenery in the country.

Once again your favorite curmudgeon the Layz1 of Great Falls Montana was off on another adventure of a lifetime. It was another trip to the Glacier National Park, Flathead River Valley area, Swan River National Wildlife Refuge and the Lolo National Forest. And what a great trip it was. A number of first for me, my first pictures of mountain goats, my first sighting of a golden eagle and I am eighty percent sure that I saw my first mountain lion. How is that for a great weekend? The mountain goats I took the pictures of were just outside of the Glacier National Park border on US route 2 about thirty miles east of the West Glacier Park entrance or about forty miles west of Browning Montana on US route 2 at a natural salt lick on the side of a valley carved by the Flathead River in the Marias Pass area. The goats can be seen on both sides of the road. The best time of year for viewing is between April and September. On this trip I spent two nights at the Motel 6 on route 93 in Kalispell Montana. I planed this trip now to avoid the higher motel rates they have in the summer months, which can almost double the winter, spring rates in this area. I made the trip from Kalispell back home to Great falls via the Flathead Lake on US route 93 to Polson Mt, then Montana route 35 to Bigfork, then Montana route 83 driving through Swan River National Wildlife Refuge and the Lolo National Forest to Montana route 200 to Lincoln and Great Falls. Start to finish a loop of about 550 miles. Swan River National Wildlife Refuge is where I saw the mountain lion. Below you will find some pictures of the mountain goats and a few scenic pictures of the ride to Saint Mary lake, the Flathead River area and Swan River, Lolo National Forest area.
Not included in the loop is a Thirty five mile side trip to Saint Mary from Browning Montana via Montana Route 89. I was headed for Saint Mary's lake the beginning of the Going To The sun Road on the east side of Glaicer National Park. I turned around about a mile or two from the turnoff to the lake. I didn't like the looks of the road as you can see in the pictures. I had driven over Thirty miles without seeing another car, once I turned around I saw quite a few cars headed to the lake. My guess would be they were people that work for the park headed to work. I thought about going back but decided that I had a long enough day planed as it was so I continued on to the Goat Lick Pull off. I will be headed back to Saint Mary's Lake and the Goat Lick Pull Off in just a few days from this post to the web site. I have a new camera lens and hope to get some closer shots of the goats. They won't be great shots it's not an expensive lens but they should still be good pictures.

Pictures from the goat lick on US Route 2.