Blodgett Canyon facts for kids
Blodgett Canyon is a beautiful natural area in southwestern Montana, in the northwestern United States. It's one of many amazing canyons carved deep into the eastern side of the Bitterroot Range. This area is part of the Bitterroot National Forest.
The canyon starts high up, near peaks over 8,500 feet (2,590 meters) tall, right on the border between Idaho and Montana. From there, it drops steeply down to Blodgett Lake, which is at 6,800 feet (2,070 meters). The canyon then stretches about 12 miles (19 km) eastward, all the way to the Bitterroot Valley. You can find a starting point for trails at the mouth of the canyon, just west of the town of Hamilton. This spot is about 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) high.
The lower part of Blodgett Canyon has very tall, straight walls that rise over 2,000 feet (610 meters) above Blodgett Creek. On the north side, you'll see Printz Ridge and Mill Point. On the south side, Canyon Peak and Romney Ridge form the walls. The upper (eastern) part of the canyon is a protected area called the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.
In the year 2000, a large forest fire burned much of the lower part of Blodgett Canyon. This burn damage goes for about 2 miles (3 km) past the main trailhead.
How Blodgett Canyon Was Formed
The amazing canyons in this region, including Blodgett Canyon, were shaped by giant sheets of ice called glaciers during the ice age. As these glaciers moved, they carved out the land, leaving behind special features.
You can see many of these features in Blodgett Canyon:
- U-shaped valleys: These are valleys that look like the letter "U" because glaciers scraped away the sides and bottom.
- Moraines: These are piles of rocks and dirt left behind by melting glaciers.
- Hanging valleys: These are smaller valleys that are higher up on the side of a main valley, often with waterfalls spilling out of them.
- Cirques: These are bowl-shaped hollows high up in the mountains, where glaciers started.
The canyon is carved into very hard, strong rocks called granite. These rocks are part of a huge underground rock mass called the Idaho Batholith. This rock mass formed a very long time ago, when hot, melted rock slowly cooled and hardened deep inside the Earth.
Fun Things to Do in Blodgett Canyon
Blodgett Canyon is a very popular place for rock climbing, especially for "big wall" climbing. This means climbing very tall, steep rock faces. It's known as one of the best spots in Montana and the surrounding area for this exciting sport.
One of the most famous climbing routes is on the South Face of Flathead Buttress. It's about 1,200 feet (365 meters) tall and goes straight up!
