Mineral County Chamber

1missoula.gifTRAVEL_MT2004-12-22T11:43:04323YVISITOR INFORMATIONhttp://www.montanarockies.orgMineral County ChamberYVISITOR INFORMATIONhttp://glacier.visitmt.comGlacier Country10003330<DIV class="cityaspfont"><ul class= "fotocolumn"><li class="brewfoto"><IMG SRC="/Pictures/Cities/Superior_MineralChamber.JPG" BORDER=0 WIDTH=222 HEIGHT=140 ALIGN=BASELINE>Scenic ViewPhoto courtesy: Mineral County Chamber</li><li class="brewfoto"><IMG SRC="/Pictures/Cities/Superior_Town.JPG" BORDER=0 WIDTH=222 HEIGHT=140 ALIGN=BASELINE>Local AreaPhoto courtesy: MTOT</li></ul> Superior is a county seat about ten miles from the Idaho border as the crow flies and forty-eight miles by interstate. Someone gave the name to a settlement at the mouth of Cedar Creek in 1869, after his hometown of Superior, Wisconsin; and when that little village disbanded, the post office located a mile east took the name. The Northern Pacific station at this location was first called Iron Mountain, and a mill was built there to refine the ore taken from the nearby mountain by that name. The Clark Fork River bisects the town. (from Cheney's Names on the Face of Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company) In the 1860s and '70s, several thousand miners converged on Cedar Creek to earn their fortunes. Long after that strike played out, mining remained a mainstay of the economy. Mining, along with the development of logging and Forest Service activities contribute to the area's interesting history. Before 1891, Superior was situated at the mouth of Johnston Creek, across the river and a little west of what is now the Leib ranch. Richard Marsh ran a dairy on that ranch. A ferry was run from Superior across the Missoula River, for the traffic from Cedar Creek. Johnston ran a combination of store saloon, and dance hall in a stone building where the garage of the Johnston ranch now stands. It catered to the miners going through on the road, which then ran just north of the Johnston ranch, following the river bank. The Harmons were some of the early settlers of Superior, coming in the late 1890s. There were five brothers of them, Charley, Jimmy, Ernest, Bill, and Pete. They cleared off the Harmon ranch and built the ranch-house, which was meant for me to live in. It's one of the old landmarks of Superior, what's left of it. Then Jimmy Harmon built a log house, across the river, north of it.This small town offers a break from interstate travel and an introduction to area history in the <a href="/categories/moreinfo.asp?SiteID=1&IDRRecordID=3177">Mineral County Museum</a>. Display subjects explore local history and industry. The nearby <a href="/categories/moreinfo.asp?SiteID=1&IDRRecordID=11886">St. Regis-Paradise National Forest Scenic Byway</a> is also a great break from the interstate. It lies within the <a href="/categories/moreinfo.asp?SiteID=1&IDRRecordID=711">Lolo National Forest</a>. This scenic route, with the motto: The River, The People, The Land, takes motorists through varying terrain, from spacious, rolling flats to steep canyon walls where it winds through the Coeur d'Alene Mountains. The byway has long been considered an alternate route for travelers, on Interstate 90, whose destination is <a href="/categories/moreinfo.asp?SiteID=1&IDRRecordID=11891">Flathead Lake</a> or <a href="/national_parks/glacier/">Glacier National Park</a>. It also serves as a route to the <a href="/categories/moreinfo.asp?SiteID=1&IDRRecordID=721">National Bison Range</a>. However, with the spectacular scenery, plentiful wildlife, and many recreational opportunities the Byway is a destination unto itself.Elevation: 2,744 feet<map name="nearbycities"><area shape="rect" alt="Plains, Montana" coords="32,4,78,14" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=256"><area shape="rect" alt="Ronan, Montana" coords="138,4,190,29" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=283"><area shape="rect" alt="Seeley Lake, Montana" coords="205,60,250,87" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=302"><area shape="rect" alt="Greenough, Montana" coords="224,101,248,122" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=148"><area shape="rect" alt="Clinton, Montana" coords="180,136,222,152" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=64"><area shape="rect" alt="Bonner, Montana" coords="164,115,197,134" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=33"><area shape="rect" alt="Stevensville, Montana" coords="124,170,203,185" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=316"><area shape="rect" alt="Hamilton, Montana" coords="109,232,184,247" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=151"><area shape="rect" alt="Corvallis, Montana" coords="122,217,171,230" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=76"><area shape="rect" alt="Florence, Montana" coords="89,157,138,169" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=115"><area shape="rect" alt="Lolo, Montana" coords="128,146,163,156" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=205"><area shape="rect" alt="Missoula, Montana" coords="28,116,156,144" href="/categories/city.asp?CityID=227"><area shape="rect" alt="Arlee, Montana" co138356SUPERIORGLACIER426Rugg's Outfitting LLC11416Big Sky Motel12098Mineral County Chamber of Commerce12174Cabin City Campground12397Quartz Flat Campground12398Trout Creek Campground13177Mineral County Museum14239Ninemile Divide Trail14243Missoula Lake Trail14244Oregon Lakes Trail14245Hoodoo Lake Trail14247Dry Creek Trail14248Trail Lake Trail14252Trout Creek Driveway Trail14254Thompson Creek Trail14255Pearl Lake Trail14258Boyd Mountain Trail14259Dry Creek Divide Trail14260Donlan Saddle Trail14262Hendrickson Gulch Trail14263River Trail14264Sunset Creek Trail14265Burnt Flat Divide Trail14267Up-Up 40 Lookout Cabin14268Flat Rock Creek Trail14269Flat Rock Ridge Trail14270Storm Peak Trail14271Heart Lake Trail14272Ward Creek Trail14273Savenac Creek Trail14274Copper Lake Trail14275Packer Creek Trail14276St. Regis Lakes Trail14277Crystal Lake Trail14278Hub-Hazel Lakes Trail14279CC Divide Trail14280Lightening Windfall Trail14282State Line Trail14283Dominion Peak Trail14285Cameron Peak Trail14286Ann Arbor Trail14287Valach Trail14290Clear Lake Trail14291Gilt Edge Creek Trail16027Haugan/Randolph Creek Loop Snowmobile Trail16029Ford Hill Snowmobile Trail16032Rainy/Dominion Snowmobile Trail16238Lookout Pass Ski Trails111078Clark Fork Trout113820Superior Lions Club High School Rodeo113901Thompson Peak Lookout Tower113902Savenac Cookhouse113903Savenac Bunkhouse113910Savenac West Cottage114185Pangaea River Rafting, INC114228Savenac Historic USFS Nursery117757Sloway Campground118752Superior Ranger District118758Route of the Olympian Recreation Route118804Lozeau Lodge118871Montana River Lodge118904Rugg's River Ranch Cabins119805Horse Boarding at Rugg's River Ranch120106Superior Montana Getaway120503Piece of Heaven120707Alberton Farmer’s Market121463Superior Lions Club NRA Rodeo121969Wiley E. Waters Whitewater Rafting122292Old Montana Inn122735Spotted Wing Vacation Rentals LLC (Yurt on the Clark Fork River)1MT59872