Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway
Driving Directions
Driving the Byway
Getting to the Byway:
From Butte:
- Follow I-15 southbound to Exit 102.
- From Exit 102, follow State Route 43 westward to the town of Wise River.
- Turn left onto County Route 484 to begin your tour of the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway.
From Dillon:
- Follow County Route 278 west for approximately 20 miles.
- Veer right onto the gravle road to access County Route 484 and the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway.
<
h4>Driving the Byway:
The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway starts at Montana State Highway #484 in the town of Wise River and travels south approximately 49 miles over Forest Service Highway #73 to County Highway #278.
From Wise River the Byway goes south up the Wise River Valley for a distance of 26 miles to Crystal Park where the Byway tops out at approximately 7800 feet above sea level. This section of the road is paved.
From this high point, the road drops slightly to Price Creek where it turns into a lane and a half wide gravelled and dirt surfaced road. This section of the road winds along steep forested hill sides descending into the Grasshopper Creek Valley, passing near Elkhorn Hot Springs and the Maverick Mountain Ski Area before reaching the open grass and sage brush covered hills near the valley bottom along Grasshopper Creek.
Approximately 4 miles further down the valley lies the small settlement of Polaris, Montana. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway ends at the junction with Beaverhead County Road #278, 7 miles south from Polaris.
