Bitterroot National Forest
East Fork Trails: #433, #401, #402 & #313

East Fork Trail #433 follows along the bottom of the canyon of the East Fork of the Bitterroot River almost to its source in the cirque below West Pintler Peak. This entire route is within the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness so foot and horseback access only is the rule. The hiking is relatively easy with short climbs to Starr Falls and again to reach the lake basin. A lot of this area was burned during the fires of 2000 and you'll come across the whole panoply of after-fire effects, from areas hardly touched to areas severely burned. While you may come across lots of new grasses, wildflowers and young lodgepole pines in the burned areas, you also need to be cautious in areas of still-standing burned trees, especially when the wind is blowing. If you are traveling with pack animals, you may want to keep your ax and saw handy.

There's a lot of wildlife along this trail. Below Starr Falls you'll find beaver ponds and willow thickets that attract moose. In the heavily burned area above Starr Falls there are lots of bluebirds and woodpeckers. As this is deep canyon with rocky cliffs rising above, you may see several mountain goats looking down on you.

To get there: Find the East Fork Road (FR #472), about 40 miles south of Hamilton on US Highway 93. Turn east on FR 472 and go about 18 miles to FR 784. Turn south on FR 784 and go about 2 miles to the trailhead. Fallen snow doesn't get plowed so access by vehicle is sometimes hard. There is plenty of parking at the trailhead but camping is not allowed. There is also a stock ramp and unloading area with hitchrails, and plenty of room to park your trailer(s).