SMALL TOWN – BIG OPTIONS
Bighorn Bluff is located just outside Plains, Montana in the stunning Clark Fork River Valley. Offering small town charm and exciting recreation opportunities, Plains is situated in an area of Montana called the “Banana Belt” due to its warmer winter and cooler summer temperatures.
Year-round adventure waits, with activities including fishing at three of the largest freshwater lakes in the West, hiking in Glacier National Park, relaxing in hot springs, skiing, or playing at any of the golf courses nearby. Besides the natural wonders of this Northwestern Montana community are the unique offerings of nearby small towns, fascinating historic sites and landmarks, and year-round entertainment and restaurants.
Urban options nearby include Missoula and Kalispell, both just over an hour away, and Spokane, Wash., less than three hours from Plains. Small town living is easy. Plains offers a full range of basic amenities that allows residents to settle into a peaceful rural lifestyle. And with millions of acres of wilderness, a multitude of wildlife species, and pristine creeks and rivers all nearby, Bighorn Bluff is small town, recreational living at its finest.
Bighorn Bluff is located just outside Plains, Montana in the stunning Clark Fork River Valley. Offering small town charm and exciting recreation opportunities, Plains is situated in an area of Montana called the “Banana Belt” due to its warmer winter and cooler summer temperatures.
Year-round adventure waits, with activities including fishing at three of the largest freshwater lakes in the West, hiking in Glacier National Park, relaxing in hot springs, skiing, or playing at any of the golf courses nearby. Besides the natural wonders of this Northwestern Montana community are the unique offerings of nearby small towns, fascinating historic sites and landmarks, and year-round entertainment and restaurants.
Urban options nearby include Missoula and Kalispell, both just over an hour away, and Spokane, Wash., less than three hours from Plains. Small town living is easy. Plains offers a full range of basic amenities that allows residents to settle into a peaceful rural lifestyle. And with millions of acres of wilderness, a multitude of wildlife species, and pristine creeks and rivers all nearby, Bighorn Bluff is small town, recreational living at its finest.
Visiting Bighorn Bluff
Getting there:
Missoula International Airport, Missoula, MT 68 miles
Glacier Park International Airport, Kalispell, MT 73 miles
Coeur D'Alene Air Terminal, Coeur D'Alene, ID 136 miles
Spokane International Airport, Spokane, WA 164 miles
History
Plains was first known as Wild Horse Plains because of the grassy plains that once served as a wintering place for wild horses and Native Americans and their horses. It came to be known as Horse Plains by the stockmen who drove their horses to the open pastures when most other places were snow-covered.
David Thompson, one of the first explorers to travel through the area, recorded in his journal in 1809 "extensive meadows and fine forests watered by countless brooks and rills of pure water." He established a fur trading outpost, and the town and falls were later named after him.
The arrival of the railroad in Thompson Falls in 1881 and the gold rush in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in 1883 brought a surge of settlers to the area. When the post office arrived in 1883, the name "Horse Plains" was officially shortened to "Plains."
Bighorn Bluff is located in Plains within 25 miles of Hot Springs, Thompson Falls, and Trout Creek, just over an hour from Missoula and Kalispell, and approximately 3 hours from Spokane, WA and Coeur d'Alene, ID.
Getting there:
Missoula International Airport, Missoula, MT 68 miles
Glacier Park International Airport, Kalispell, MT 73 miles
Coeur D'Alene Air Terminal, Coeur D'Alene, ID 136 miles
Spokane International Airport, Spokane, WA 164 miles
History
Plains was first known as Wild Horse Plains because of the grassy plains that once served as a wintering place for wild horses and Native Americans and their horses. It came to be known as Horse Plains by the stockmen who drove their horses to the open pastures when most other places were snow-covered.
David Thompson, one of the first explorers to travel through the area, recorded in his journal in 1809 "extensive meadows and fine forests watered by countless brooks and rills of pure water." He established a fur trading outpost, and the town and falls were later named after him.
The arrival of the railroad in Thompson Falls in 1881 and the gold rush in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in 1883 brought a surge of settlers to the area. When the post office arrived in 1883, the name "Horse Plains" was officially shortened to "Plains."
