A slice of paradise along the Bitterroot River with breathtaking views all around. Lester’s Cottage is spotless, dog-friendly, and the most well-stocked home we have visited. Jim has thought of EVERY detail and amenity. Lester’s Cottage is a great home base for hiking, floating, bike riding, and relaxing along the river.
The cottage is a 5-minute drive to Kootenai Creek trailhead. This is an easy hike along the rocky creek and there are plenty of spots to dip your feet in the water to cool off.
St. Mary’s Peak is a 45 minute (17 mile) drive south. We gained about 2,000 feet in elevation on this difficult 3.5-4 mile hike to the fire lookout tower. The tower sits at 9,100 feet and the views are well worth the effort.
We floated from the bridge to the cottage and Jim has paddle boards and tubes to borrow. He even shuttled us back to our car. There are 2 campfire rings to chose from on the property and firewood is provided. There are grocery stores and restaurants just up the road. We had great thin crust pizza from Kodiak Jax and delicious Montana made Wilcoxson’s Ice Cream from the ice cream shop inside Valley Drug.
We really enjoyed our visits with Jim. It was nice to hear about the history of the property and all he has done to restore it. We hope to be back again in early summer to float the Bitteroot and in the winter to ski Lost Trail. If you choose Lester’s Cottage you will not be disappointed!