Kootenai National Forest: Ten Lakes Scenic Area

One of the most popular natural attractions in the Kootenai National Forest of Montana, the Ten Lakes Scenic Area, is just minutes away from Hidden Springs Ranch.

This vast natural playground is rich in natural resources and rocky mountain wonder, with more than 89 miles of trails providing some of the best hiking and mountain biking opportunities in the area, and well over 15,000 acres to explore and enjoy.

Alpine glaciers shaped this rugged landscape, carving basins into rock and forming abundant, shimmering lakes. The area is named after the Ten Lakes Basin where it reaches along the Canadian border from the northwest corner of Montana.

Numerous trails wind around the mountains and lakes, providing incredible views. Visitors to the Ten Lakes Scenic Area use these trails to backpack or horseback ride into this tranquil region of the backcountry.

There are many animals that have made this natural setting their home including elk, mountain goats, and moose. People can share this land with the wildlife at the picturesque and remote Little and Big Therriault Lake Campgrounds.

Wildflowers bloom in the spring, and huckleberry patches grow beneath shrubs and trees. Much of this wilderness is forested with a variety of spruce, fir, and pine trees.

The Ten Lakes Scenic Area is surrounded by the incredible mountain views reaching up into Canada. Most of the land is comprised of Montana's Whitefish mountains. Poorman Mountain is the tallest mountain peak reaching over 7,800 feet high.

The National Forest Service is working to keep this land preserved. In order to protect its natural vitality, motorized equipment is prohibited in areas designated wilderness, and only over-snow vehicles are allowed.

Campers and hikers should also be aware this is bear country, and practice the “Pack In/Pack Out” procedure.

The Ten Lakes Scenic Area can be accessed from Forest Roads #114 and #319, twenty miles off Highway 93 near Eureka.

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