June 14, 2018 Missoula MT to Polson MT
We were packed up and ready to leave Missoula, MT around 10:30 AM to drive north to Polson, MT. It was only 68 miles to Polson via US 93. We needed to checkout of our RV Park by 11 AM, but were unable to check-in to our RV Park in Polson until 3PM. What could we do to pass the time? We decided to fill up with Diesel (that always takes awhile), and stop for breakfast. Once we were on the road, I called the RV resort to see if we could check-in early. No problem!
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It was another beautiful day and the short drive to Polson was captivating! The nearby mountains were green but the distant mountains were snowcapped. We hadn’t been traveling long, when we came upon the Big Animal Bridge, a wildlife crossing that allows animals to cross over the highway. US 93 has 39 wildlife crossing structures withing 56 miles on the Flathead Indian Reservation. In addition to the Big Animal Bridge, there are small, medium and large culverts tunneling underneath the road, too. It is estimated that 22,000 animals use the crossing every year.
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Passing through the Flathead Indian Reservation, we noticed that the roadway signage was written a peculiar language. There seemed to be lots of “q’s” in the words. The historic language was used by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
We drove past the National Bison Range and along the western shore of the Flathead Lake arriving at our destination- Polson, MT.
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Polson lies at the south end of Flathead Lake and is located on the Flathead Indian Reservation.
We are staying 6 nights at the Polson Motorcoach & RV Resort. The grounds are tiered and all RV sites face forward with lake views. Since it is a condominium resort, many of the sites are ownded and occupied with folks that stay for the summer season. The owned sites are spectacular! They have gorgeous landscape, patios with large seating areas, fireplaces and outdoor kitchens. Our site is one of the “unsold” sited therefore, it doesn’t have any improvemtns. However, it is a great site with a good location and great view of the lake!
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As evening approached, we decided to drive to the Naitonal Bison Range. The range was established in 1908 to provide refuge for American bison. The range is 18,000 acres and supposedly has a herd of 350-500 bison.
We cruised the Scenic Drives through the range on a good, gravel road. There were several switchbacks and a few steep hills…up and down! Surprislingly, there was not much traffic…or animals! We saw only a few Bison(all male), and several deer. But, it was a beautiful evening for a fun drive!
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