Skip to main content

St. Regis-Paradise Scenic Byway

Image
By

While Montana State Highway 135 commonly used as a shortcut to Glacier National Park from points west such as Coeur d'Alene and Spokane, the St. Regis-Paradise Scenic Byway provides enough attractions along its 22 miles to be a destination of its own. Beginning at I-90 in the little town of St. Regis and traveling through a diverse array of landscapes for its relatively short distance to MT 200 just outside of Paradise, the St. Regis-Paradise Scenic Byway provides a sampler of the wild western Montana countryside. The scenic byway makes its way through the canyon of the Clark Fork River across a section of the Lolo National Forest in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains. You will encounter spacious, rolling flats and steep canyon walls as the road meanders through the canyon, crisscrossing the river several times. You may spot some campers, fishermen or rafters along the way, not to mention the various types of wildlife as well. From I-90, MT 135 is also a bit of a shortcut to the National Bison Range and Flathead Lake.

But first, let's see why the St. Regis-Paradise Scenic Byway is so special. I had the opportunity to experience this road twice. The first time was when I made my first cross country trip with my family in 1995, as we went this way as part of our way west from Glacier National Park towards Washington State. I got to travel it again in September 2019, and it was a lot of fun to drive.

Only 24 miles to Paradise...

Beautiful downtown St. Regis, Montana.
As an Upstate New Yorker, a 70 mile an hour speed limit on a two lane road excites me.
The ascent to a scenic drive begins.

Nothing but blue skies...
I feel like these are the Burma Shave signs of the St. Regis-Paradise Scenic Byway.
The beautiful Clark Fork River is to your right. The river is about 280 miles long and is named for William Clark of Lewis & Clark fame.

Sometimes, you have to let the pictures speak for themselves.


The bridge in view is for the Montana Rail Link, a freight railroad that is based out of Missoula, Montana.

There's the majestic Clark Fork River again.

It's pretty nice seeing the road hug the river bank around here.
We're not quite in Paradise yet, but the scenery is pretty intoxicating.


A few dwellings pop up as we draw closer to the Paradise end of the byway.

The St. Regis-Paradise Scenic Byway ends at MT 200. You can make a left here to get to the town of Paradise.



Sources and Links:
Go-Montana - St. Regis-Paradise Scenic Byway
The Armchair Explorer - St. Regis-Paradise Scenic Byway
Labels:
Location: St Regis, MT 59866, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The rogue G28-2 California State Highway Spades

By
In this short blog we look at the somewhat rare but not unheard-of rogue G28-2 California State Highway Spades affixed to guide signs. Part 1; what is the G28-2 California State Highway Spade?  The  Caltrans Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Sign Chart from 2014  ("Caltrans MUTCD") dictates the types of signs and highway shields permitted for traffic control use in California.  California is known for it's more ornate cut-out shields which are used for, US Routes, Interstate Highways, and State Routes.  These shields are intended to be applied as standalone reassurance signs but aren't explicitly limited to said function and occasionally appear in error on guide signs.  The common shields which are typically found through California are: US Route:  G26-2 Interstate:  G27-2 State Highway:  G28-2 The Caltrans MUTCD provides alternative shields for, US Routes, Interstate Highways, and State Routes.  These alternative shields are intended for guide sign usage.  Th
Post a Comment
Read more

Former Greater Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal

By
For just over four decades, the former main terminal of Greater Pittsburgh International Airport was the city's gateway to the world.  Located nearly 20 miles west of Downtown Pittsburgh, the Joseph Hoover-designed terminal would see millions of travelers pass through its doors.  Known best for the terrazzo compass in the main lobby, the terminal had many other distinguishing features.  The well-landscaped entrance led up to the curved stepped design of the terminal. Each level of the terminal would extend out further than the other allowing for numerous observation decks.  The most popular observation deck, the "Horizon Room", was located on the fourth floor. The former Greater Pittsburgh Airport Terminal - October 1998 From when it opened in the Summer of 1952 until its closing on September 30, 1992, the terminal would grow from a small regional airport to the main hub for USAir.  The terminal would see numerous expansions and renovations over its 40 years of
2 comments
Read more

Highways in and around Old Sacramento; US 40, US 99W, CA 16, CA 24, CA 70, CA 99, CA 275, and more

By
This past weekend I was visiting the City of Sacramento for a wedding.  That being the case I decided to head out on a morning run through Old Sacramento, Jibboom Street Bridge, I Street Bridge, Tower Bridge, and path of US Route 40/US Route 99W towards the California State Capitol.  My goal was to retrace the paths of the various highways that once traversed the Old Sacramento area. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page The old highway alignments of Sacramento The City of Sacramento lies at the confluence of the Sacramento River and American River in Sacramento Valley.  Sacramento Valley was discovered by Spanish Explorer Gabriel Moraga in 1808.  Moraga referred to the fertile Sacramento Valley akin to a "Blessed Sacrament."  By 1839 John Sutter Sr. settled in Mexican held
Post a Comment
Read more