Bear Trail Viewpoint

At the top of the Bear Trail a small path takes one out onto a rocky outcropping with beautiful views of the St. Mary's River Valley and the hills to the south and west. This is a wonderful place to stop for lunch and feel the cool breezes coming down from the Purcell Mountains. It is also a great place to ponder the tenacity of life, and marvel at the plants growing in cracks and crevices in the bedrock itself.

From the Bear Trail viewpoint one can look down into the St. Mary's River valley and west toward St. Mary's Lake. There are also some nice views of Bootleg Mountain, on the north side of the valley just west of the Nature Park.

Rocky outcroppings occur here and there throughout the Nature Park. They are great places to admire the tenacity of life. A surprising number of plants survive on these almost soil less environments including a host of different lichens and small ferns like the woodsia shown hear on the left.

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