Complete trail guide to hiking to Holland Falls, Montana
Highway 83 in western Montana slices up the flat, verdant valley between the Mission Range and the Swan Range, both roadless wilderness areas accessible by bootleather or a pack string. Creeks run down out of the mountains to the skinny lakes along the valley floor: Salmon Lake, Seeley Lake, Alva Lake, Inez Lake, Swan Lake. Lakeside forest campgrounds fleck the valley, a good stopover on the way north to Glacier National Park or as a base camp for a backcountry trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
Hiking from the Holland Lake Trailhead, Montana
One popular jumping-off point to access the vast trail system in the Bob is the Holland Lake area, including the East Holland/Holland Falls trailhead. Holland Lake Road cuts to the east from Highway 83 twenty-one miles north of Seeley Lake. There is a 38-site campground and swimming area on the west side of Holland Lake, and following the road around to the north side will deadend you at the trailhead.
National Geographic map #725 shows detailed trails throughout the Bob if you are planning a backcountry trip. For those short on time but would like to experience a bit of the Swan Mountains’ beauty, the easy hike to Holland Falls is a great option. From the trailhead (47.45301, -113.60399), follow the Holland Falls NRT (not the East Holland Lake Connector) along the north shore of Holland Lake.
The 413-acre Holland Lake reflects the surrounding mountains and Douglas fir forests. The trail showcases the small islands in the lake as you hike up in elevation to the topside of the lake, where it is fed by Holland Creek. The creek drains the Upper Holland Lake down through a rocky canyon over Upper Holland Falls and then to the 50-foot Holland falls before dropping the rest of the way to the main lake below.
Hiking to Holland Falls along Holland Lake
Visiting in May when the creek is carrying the spring snowmelt from the peaks to the valley means catching cold spray from the falls as the water smacks the flat rocks on its way down the mountain. Just down from the waterfall is a stunning vantage of conifers that give way to the shining Holland Lake and the white-capped Mission Mountains ten miles to the west.
The trail to the falls gets rocky the closer you get to the waterfall, but overall the 3.2-mile round trip hike is easy and maximizes scenic views. If you are just passing through or only have one free afternoon in Seeley Lake, the hike to Holland Falls gives you the best bang for your buck. For a backcountry trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, taking the East Holland Lake connector trail up past Upper Holland falls and Upper Holland Lake then north to the Necklace Lakes showcases some beautiful mountain lakes with nice camping spots.
