Stevensville

Stevensville, population 1,809, sits on the site of the state’s first non–Native American settlement, St. Mary’s Mission, a restored treasure that dates back to 1841. Nearby Fort Owen is a partially restored 1850s trading post. The town itself is named for General Isaac Stevens, who was in charge of the Northwest Territory’s military posts and Native American affairs. Today it’s a mix of beautiful old homes and haphazard modern construction in a mountain valley. The Bitterroot River offers exceptional fishing for wild Westslope cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout, and there are excellent guides in Darby and Missoula to help you find the fish.