Stevensville is a town in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, flanked by the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountains, and makes a day trip from Missoula for local history and wildlife viewing. You can visit Historic St. Mary’s Mission, explore other local history stops, or head to interpretive trails at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge.
- Setting: Bitterroot Valley, between the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountains.
- Historic site: Historic St. Mary’s Mission offers guided tours from mid-April to mid-October, Tuesday through Saturday.
- Nearby park: Fort Owen State Park is 25 miles south of Missoula.
- Road planning: Montana’s 511 service provides road-condition and construction information.
Why visit Stevensville from Missoula?
Stevensville pairs a small-town setting in the Bitterroot Valley with several ways to explore local history and the surrounding landscape. Montana’s state tourism listing recommends Stevensville Museum and St. Mary’s Mission for local history, and Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge’s interpretive trails for wildlife viewing.
For a history-focused visit, make Historic St. Mary’s Mission your first stop, then consider the museum. The mission is a registered historic site; Montana’s state tourism listing says it dates to 48 years before the state attained statehood.
If you’re planning how to get around before leaving Missoula, this guide to how to get around Missoula covers the city portion of your trip.
How do you drive south through the Bitterroot Valley?
U.S. 93 runs south from Missoula toward Stevensville Junction, with Fort Owen State Park reached by continuing east on Secondary 269. Montana’s state parks guide places the park 25 miles south of Missoula on U.S. 93 to Stevensville Junction, then 0.5 miles east on Secondary 269.
Start from WoodSpring Suites Missoula, a hotel in Missoula, and plan your route south toward the valley. For current road conditions, construction projects, traveler incidents, camera images and weather information, use the Montana Department of Transportation’s Traveler Information Program and 511 service. MDT cautions that reports may not be real time, so plan accordingly.
What are the things to do in Stevensville?
Stevensville’s main options include a historic mission, a local museum, a state park and wildlife-viewing trails. Choose the mission for a guided history visit, or add Fort Owen State Park and Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge if you want to include more outdoor stops.
Historic St. Mary’s Mission offers guided tours from mid-April to mid-October, Tuesday through Saturday, between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.; the last tour is at 2:00 p.m. From Main Street, turn west at 4th Street.
The historic chapel is three blocks from Main Street at the end of the street. The tourism listing describes the site as handicapped accessible and lists parking and a public restroom among its amenities.
Fort Owen State Park covers 1.9 acres and sits at an elevation of 3,398 feet. Its small size makes it a practical addition to a day built around Stevensville, rather than a destination that needs to fill the whole outing.
When should you go, and how should you plan the return?
Plan the mission visit around its mid-April-to-mid-October tour season and its Tuesday-to-Saturday schedule. If you’re also considering the refuge’s interpretive trails, give that stop its own time in your day rather than trying to fit every location into one visit.
Montana’s winter road-reporting season runs from November through April. During that period, reports are updated at least twice a day or when major changes occur, but conditions can change quickly. Before you go, check the official site for Montana road conditions and check Historic St. Mary’s Mission’s official site for tour details.
If your plans depend on the weather, this guide to what to pack for Missoula by season can help you prepare for the Missoula part of the trip.
FAQs
What can you do on a day trip to Stevensville?
You can visit Historic St. Mary’s Mission and Stevensville Museum for local history, or explore the interpretive trails at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge for wildlife viewing. Fort Owen State Park is another nearby stop south of Missoula.
When are guided tours available at Historic St. Mary’s Mission?
Tours run from mid-April to mid-October, Tuesday through Saturday, with the last tour at 2:00 p.m.
How do you reach Fort Owen State Park from Missoula?
Take U.S. 93 to Stevensville Junction, then travel 0.5 miles east on Secondary 269. The park is 25 miles south of Missoula.