Don't remember how we found this station - we probably knew beforehand where it was located. It's a nice station with a really nice lady inside looking after the curious and the informationally deficient. For the latter they have the usual array of information brochures and maps available as well as a lot of local knowledge. They also have some displays of local fauna inside, perched on branches or soaring below the ceiling.
While visiting don't get overly distracted and forget to sign the guest book, though. You should find it on or near the font desk. If it's not in sight, just ask and it will appear forthwith.
This station is in the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District which, in turn, is in the northwest corner of the Lolo National Forest.
This station is open Monday-Friday 8:00 - 4:30. A bit of interesting information on the district follows below.
The station's address & phone number:
408 Clayton Street
Plains MT 59859
406-826-3821
Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District
Located in the northwest corner of the Lolo National Forest, the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District borders Idaho to the west, the Kootenai National Forest to the north and the Flathead Indian Reservation to the east. The district covers over 490,000 acres of mountainous terrain, offers stunning scenery, abundant wildlife and a wealth of outdoor recreational opportunities. World class hunting opportunities exist for bighorn sheep, elk and deer, and the fishing is renowned for prized trout species such as cutthroat, bull and rainbow trout, and northern pike. The Clark Fork River and tributaries Thompson River and Prospect Creek are the district’s major watersheds. Thompson Falls and Plains -- where the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District Office is located -- are the two major communities adjacent to the district.
Rich in western Montana history, the Plains/Thompson Falls District was once home to David Thompson, one of this country’s most famous explorers and a prodigious mapmaker. The local Native Americans called Thompson Koo-Koo-Sint, which roughly translates into “Star Gazer,” due to the fact that he often studied the night sky with his sextant. He remains famous for the accurate maps he produced of this once uncharted territory. A prominent ridge between Thompson River and the Clark Fork is now named Koo-Koo-Sint Ridge in Thompson’s honor. Thompson Falls, also named for our most famous early resident, later became the location of the old Cabinet National Forest's Supervisor’s Office. The district has an abundance of breathtaking destinations with slightly mysterious names, mostly accessible by a well-maintained trail system or by mountain roads. Baldy Mountain, Thompson Peak, Mount Headley, Sundance Ridge, Eddy Mountain, Priscilla Peak, Blossom Lakes, Cabin Lake and Cherry Peak are just a few!
From the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District