13-Mile Camp

13-Mile Camp gives the visitor a short hike on the historic Lolo Trail with expansive views of the Bitterroot snow peaks and an opportunity to see a Lewis and Clark campsite. On June 28, 1806, Lewis described the scene:

“about eleven O’clock we arrived at an untimbered side of a mountain with a Southern aspect . . . . here we found an abundance of grass for our horses as the Indians had informed us. as our horses were very hungary and much fatiegued.”
—Meriwether Lewis

They had only traveled 13 miles that day, but it would be the only grass available that day. Beargrass—which horses do not eat—dominates the slope, but if you explore a bit, you can find the sought-after grass. The campsite was in a small saddle at the top of the hill.

The trailhead is at Powell Junction where Parachute Hill Road intersects with the Lolo Motorway—Forest Service Road 500—and 5.7 miles from Highway 12 (46.5791, -114.71864). The trail is roughly 1/3-mile in length (one-way) and climbs 280 feet.

Timing your visit with morning light and beargrass blooms—typically in late-June and early July—is especially rewarding.