Wise River Montana
Community Overview
On MT Highway 43, right where the Wise River flows into the Big Hole sits the small mountain community of Wise River. The Wise River tumbles into the Big Hole from high in the Pioneer Mountains. The Wise varies in size from a large stream to a very small river, and doesn't offer quite the same majestic floating opportunities as the Big Hole, but the willow-lined banks and the boulder-strewn bed make the river perfect for pocket fishing. A few small forest service campgrounds dot the course of the Wise River with paved loops and handicap accessible toilets, providing perfect sites from which to adventure into the Pioneer Mountains and the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
Wise River also forms the north end of the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway. This paved, 49 mile long road follows the Wise River to its source, and then follows Grasshopper Creek down the other side of the mountain. The Byway offers beautiful views of the rugged Pioneers and a number of turnouts with opportunities to explore more remote areas, like the ghost town of Coolidge and the silver mine of Elkhorn. In the winter months, try snowmobiling over the Byway instead. The prime rib sandwich and the famous bar at the Wise River Club make for a comfortable end to an adventure around Wise River.
Community Info
Wise River Elevation: 5,653'
Wise River Population: 42 (2020)
County: Beaverhead
Beaverhead Chamber of Commerce Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway Wise River Scenic DriveIn the Wise River, MT Area:
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Weather Forecast for Silver Bow County MT:
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OvercastBig Hole River Base Wise River, Montana
At the northern end of the Pioneer Mountains and the Scenic Byway sits the community of Wise River. Splicing the Pioneers into two sections, MT-43 connects Wise River to Divide on the east and Wisdom to the west. The Big Hole River, one of Montana’s top fishing flows is a hundred yards north of the highway.
Wise River gathered its name from the Wise River, a short tributary which flows into the Big Hole River from its birth in the West Pioneer Range near Crystal Park where Mono and Jacobson Creek join.
Early settlers in the area shortened its name from ‘Wisdom River,’ the original name given by Capt. Meriwether Lewis, to Wise River. In 1913, the Wise River post office was established by Ellen Pyle and continues in operation to this day. Other establishments such as the Wise River Fire House, Wise River Club, H Bar J Saloon & Café, Happy Camper Coffee Shop, Wise River Mercantile, and Church of the Big Hole provide employment opportunities and call this community home.
Above all this Southwest Montana community is about fishing and mountains. It’s a great base for anglers wanting to try the Big Hole both upriver and down river from Wise River. And then there is the Wise River itself a popular fishery.
Recreation abounds here. Both the Big Hole and Wise River offer fishing access by boat and by “pocket fishing.” The Rod Shop supplies tackle and rods and LaMarche Outfitting, and the Complete Fly Fisher offer introductory to advanced guided expeditions into the surrounding wilderness. Stop by the USFS Ranger Station on the east end of town to learn more about river and mountain access as well as wildlife viewing opportunities.
Many trailheads into the Anaconda Range and Anaconda Pintlar Wilderness are reached east and west of town. And south, along the Pioneer Scenic Byway that connects the Big Hole Valley with the Grasshopper Creek Valley, and separates the East Pioneers from the West Pioneers, passages trailing into both ranges are numerous.
About 45 people inhabit Wise River home and anyone of them can most likely tell you all you might want to know about this beautiful mountain valley setting.
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