Columbia Mountain Trail

Columbia Mountain Trail leads up to the beginning of the Alpine #7 trail system, joining the ridge line pack trail near the summit of Columbia Mountain. This trail and the Alpine trail offer stunning over looks of the Flathead Valley from various vantage points along the northern portion of the Swan Mountain range. The Alpine trail continues south, crossing the ridge multiple times; it passes west of Doris Mtn (7437ft), east of Blaine Mtn (7207ft), over Hash Mtn (7063ft), over Strawberry Mtn (6264ft), east of or over Mt Aeneas (7530ft), east of Crater Mtn (6787ft), far west of Big Hawk Mtn (7542ft), west of Tom Tom Mtn (7070), and ending south of Tom Tom Mtn at the intersection of the Peterson Trail 293 and Trail #72. Prominent lakes along the trail include Lamoose, Strawberry, Wildcat, Birch, Squaw, and Crater, with many other lakes only a short hike off the trail. A large stretch of the trail runs trough the west of the Jewel Basin hiking area offering multiple options of camping, fishing and alternative routes. There are sparse camping options south of Big Hawk Mtn after the trail exits the Jewel.