Condominiums at Clearwater Heights

About Seeley Lake

Seeley Lake is the regional center of a large area offering abundant recreational opportunities. The appeal of Seeley Lake rests in its bountiful natural amenities like mountains, forests, lakes, streams, and starry nights. Seeley Lake is nestled between the Bob Marshall and the Mission Mountain Wilderness Areas. We are also surrounded by state, federal and timber company lands.

Seeley Lake is a town of about 2500 people that has grown up around a glacially-formed lake. Seeley Lake is a full service town. It is home to a locally-owned grocery store, pharmacy, hardware store, sporting goods store, video rentals, auto repair shops, gas stations and recreation/sport rentals. Several churches will welcome you and there are available health services. Seeley Lake and the surrounding area has multiple lodges, motels, guest ranches, conference facilities and restaurants. Seeley Lake is one hour northeast of an international airport located in Missoula.

Folks in Montana refer to this region as the Seeley-Swan Valley. This Valley is 80 miles long and its small, rural communities are connected by Highway 83. Highway 83 connects to Highway 200 on the south end and Highway 35 is on the north end. Geographically, Seeley Lake lies in the Clearwater River Valley. The Clearwater River is formed by several mountain lakes north of town. The Clearwater River flows south through a glacially-formed chain of lakes and into the Blackfoot River. Seeley Lake is one of these lakes.

Season By Season

Folks visiting Seeley Lake have many outdoor recreational opportunities from which to choose. During winter, a snowmobiler will discover more than 350 miles of groomed snowmobile trails in this area. Seeley Lake hosts a vast network of trails that wind in and around the many local mountain ranges. Guided snowmobile tours are available. Seeley Lake also boasts a world-class Nordic ski trail system. Folks can enjoy the serenity and beauty of this winter wonderland on a horse-drawn sleigh ride or on a guided sled dog ride. Seeley Lake is home to local mushers Bill, Cindy and Jim Gallea (father, mother and son, respectively). They are the first family to enter and finish the Iditarod on separate years. Other winter recreation includes snow boarding, sleigh riding, snow shoeing, ice fishing, spear fishing and ice skating.

During spring, summer and autumn, folks can enjoy birding, wildlife viewing, fishing, camping, boating, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding and trap shooting. Folks can mountain bike along hundreds of miles of trails and roads (troads). You can always canoe the Clearwater River Canoe Trail. This easy 3.5 mile canoe route along the willow-lined river provides excellent opportunities to see many types of birds, including bald eagles. Then take a one-mile walk through old-growth forest to pick up your vehicle at the put-in point, if you haven't rented a canoe. Experience the mountain vistas with a scenic car ride or with a guided llama or horse pack trip. During hunting season, there are multiple outfitters for guided pack trips. During summer, there are many water sports to be enjoyed.

There are three Forest Service campgrounds on Seeley Lake with swimming areas. There is also a campground on Lake Alva. There are state parks with camping at Salmon Lake and Placid Lake. All of these campgrounds have day use areas and provide excellent recreation facilities and opportunities. Interpretive specialists hold educational programs during the summer. These programs are open to the public.

When visiting Seeley Lake, you will find your experiences to be unique. To highlight our community spirit and the many recreational opportunities of each season, we host three annual community events. We welcome visitors to share in the activities, games and celebration. We call Seeley Lake's annual celebration of winter "Winterfest." It is the last two weekends in January of each year and is Montana's premier winter recreation event. We have clinics for Nordic skiing and snow shoeing. Local mushers give free sled dog rides. Cash prizes are awarded in snow sculpture competition. We have YMCA kid and family games along with a parade. There is a spectacular fireworks show over the frozen lake. We hold an art/crafts/food fair at the Community Hall. We have had VFW game feeds, bonfires, kid-mutt pulls, snowmobile kid games and snow golf. Our local snowmobile club sponsors both a Fun Run and sanctioned snocross races. Our local Nordic ski club sponsors a cross-country ski race (OSCR: Over Seeley's Creeks and Ridges). The Seeley-Monture 100 sled dog race starts and finishes in downtown Seeley Lake making this event spectator friendly. In February, the 350-mile Race to the Sky sled dog race has a checkpoint in Seeley Lake, allowing spectator viewing.

During Memorial Day weekend in May, Seeley Lake hosts its annual celebration of area wildlife with the Loon & Fish Festival. U.S. Forest Service interpretive specialists lead tours and have programs focusing on area plants and wildlife. A major focus is on Seeley Lake's nesting loons and bird viewing. There are kids arts and crafts projects. We celebrate this area's artistic talent with a two-day arts and crafts fair.

Seeley Lake hosts a 4th of July Celebration complete with a state renowned parade and a spectacular fireworks show over the Lake. During 4th of July we have had competitive games between the DNRC, Forest Service and our volunteer fire department. We have had live music in the park, arts and crafts, carnivals, sumo wrestling, YMCA kid and family games, pig roasts, and a raffle for a quilt created by a quilting group. No matter what, it is always a fun 4th of July Celebration. And as with all of our events, we invite visitors to join in the fun.

The Seeley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and the Seeley Lake Ranger Station are both good sources of information. Along with others who live in the Seeley Lake area, we invite you to enjoy our small town atmosphere nestled in this mountain paradise.