Swan River Trail is a 2.5 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Bigfork, Montana that features a river and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
easy to find for this out-of-towner. wide, flat trail with moderate traffic. I did about a half mile but being so far from the water was frustrating (the trail is about 100 feet above the river) so then I took one of the spur trails and scrambled down to the water. it was fun to explore the waters edge up close.
the main trail is very easy and manicured but if you're into balancing on rocks and a bit of fun, getting to the river's edge is a little harder. These trails can get thin and steep. make sure to have safe footwear to navigate that and the sometimes slippery rocks. The water is faster than you think, be safe.
Gravel, wide enough that everyone has space, pretty views of the river, some traffic noise
nice wide open Trail. Was not very busy when we went on a Tuesday morning. Part shade. Was very beautiful, but you could hear traffic on the other side of the river, so it wasn't as quiet and peaceful as I'd hoped for. Trail is very well maintained and level. Mostly older people on the trail. Trail is very wide so easy to social distance. there isn't any parking up near the trailhead. We parked at the bottom of the hill in Bigfork in a nice big parking lot. From there it was just a minute or two walk up the hill to reach the trailhead.
Busy trail on a Sunday morning but wide so you could keep your distance. The river and lake were pretty and while it was too steep to access the river there were places to access the lake and let the dog go swimming.
The family and I had a good time in this trail. In middle of July around 2:30-3:00pm there was plenty of shade. The trail was immaculate the whole trail was flat and easy to walk. Some wildlife on the trail and it hugs the Swan River so it was nice to see the river current and small rapids there as well. There are bathrooms in the middle of the trail and trash receptacles along the way. Lots of local wild flowers along the way too. There were other smaller trails to the rivers edge as well. Over all we had a good time and towards the end we went into Bigfork and had ice cream and drinks.
Wonderful trail that is easy to access and can be used for many different activities: biking, walking, running, or a picnic (lots of spots near the river). Very flat with a nice, wide trail. More of a “walk” compared to a “hike.” Lovely views of the river and some mountains in the distance.
Great trail. Good for families or bikes or people who may not want something super hard, but still want some cool views. Flat and has cool paths off the main trail that lead down to the river for some cool pics. We were from out of state and it was easy to find, park, and we enjoyed our time on the trail.