Boulder Point, Rattlesnake Wilderness

Swan Range from Boulder Point

The Rocky Mountaineers have a few peak lists on their web page: Missoula Valley Peaks, Rattlesnake Peaks, Bitterroot Peaks, Mission Peaks, Swan Peaks, and Glacier Peaks 9500ft+. Here's the Rattlesnake Peak list:

Rattlesnake Peaks

• McLeod Pk 8620’
• Murphy Pk 8167’
• Mosquito Pk 8057’
• Stuart Peak 7960’
• Point Six 7929’
• Sheep Mtn 7650’
• Mineral Pk 7482’
• Boulder Point 7293’
• Triangle Peak 7800’
• Gold Cr Pk 7207

I've now done the first 8 on the list, Boulder Point over Labor Day.

Boulder Lake with Missions behind from Boulder Point.

The hike to Boulder Point is on trail, and it's only about a 3.5-4 mile trip one way. As peaks go, it's pretty mellow. The hardest part is getting to the trail head, which is about 20 miles back on an increasingly rough Gold Creek Road. Gold Creek Road leaves Highway 200 about 10-15 miles up the Blackfoot from Bonner. Although the road gets rough and narrow, there are signs for West Fork Gold Creek trailhead at every major intersection. That's where the hike begins.

One of the neat things way back on Gold Creek Road, before the trailhead, is a big, beautiful meadow with giant old growth ponderosa pine. It's known as Primm's Meadow and here's a Missoulian aritcle about the lady who helped save it. Primm's Meadow is apparently there because there were some hold-out homesteaders who wouldn't sell to Plumb Creek. Every other hill side in sight is barren from clear cutting. I don't have a picture of the meadow, so you'll have to make the trip. I wish I'd had time to walk the meadow a little bit.

Mineral Peak with the lookout barely visible.