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SCENIC BYWAY

Flathead National Forest Scenic Drive

91.0 miles: 1 hours, 31 minutes

The Swan and Mission mountain ranges create a spectacular corridor for the Flathead National Forest Scenic Drive. Meandering south from Bigfork to Clearwater, SR 83 passes through the Swan River National Wildlife Refuge and past a chain of lakes. Thickly forested hillsides are a rich habitat for wildlife; watch for deer on the road and loons in the sky.

Gonzuller/iStockphoto.com

Montana's SR 83 stretches across a chain of lakes cradled between the Swan and Mission mountains. The fir, cedar and spruce forest of the Swan River National Wildlife Refuge is home to moose, bobcats, black bears and grizzly bears. Bald eagles, hawks and Canadian geese soar over silvery lakes against a backdrop of mountain peaks.

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