Ten Lakes Scenic Area

 
The Ten Lakes Scenic Area is one of the crowning jewels of the Tobacco Valley. Situated in the Whitefish Range just east of Eureka, the beauty of this area is punctuated with alpine lakes and meadows and glacier-carved peaks.

One of nine original areas designated for special wilderness evaluation under the Montana Wilderness Study Act, the area has 15,700 acres, with an additional 19,000 surrounding it. The area is named for the Ten Lakes Basin along the Canadian border. Poorman Mountain is the highest peak in the area, reaching an elevation of 7,832 feet. Ksanka, Stahl, and Independence Peaks range in height from 7,505 to 7,416 feet and are scattered throughout the range.

This year once again the Ten Lakes Scenic Area is accessible by foot or horseback, and campers may drive as far as Little Therriault and Big Therriault Lakes, where they may enjoy a wilderness experience in northwestern Montana.

Last year, due to a severe washout last fall, Grave Creek road was closed through the fall of 2007. The road has undergone major repairs and is once again opened to motorized vehicles and everyone can again enjoy the beauty of this scenic destination.

Grave Creek Road leaves U.S. Highway 93 about five miles south of Eureka. Trails that may yet be accessed this year via Graves Creek Road include Gibralter, Clarence, Stahl, and Blue Sky, most of which lead into the network of trails that weave through the entire Ten Lakes Area.

The most direct hiking route into the Ten Lakes Basin is over Therriault Pass, which will allow access to a variety of pristine alpine lakes. The trail is accessible from Road #756, also known as Foothills Road or Therriault Pass Road. To get to Road #756, take a left off of Grave Creek Road three or four miles from where it leaves U.S. Highway 93. Follow Road #756 for about seven miles until you see the Therriault Pass trailhead sign. It would be advisable to pick up a Kootenai National Forest map from either the Eureka Ranger Station in Eureka, or Murphy Lake Ranger Station,15 miles south of Eureka on U.S. Highway 93.

The summer season in the Ten Lakes is brief, roughly from June to September. Wildflowers are abundant and change with the elevation.

Wildlife is varied. Big horn sheep frequent high ridges during the summer months. Mule deer, grouse, moose, mountain songbirds, black bear, marmot, pika, pine squirrels, elk, hummingbirds, and grizzly bears inhabit the scenic area.