Top places in Montana to view fall foliage

Johnny Mercer, the famed American songwriter, faced a challenge when he wanted to adapt the song for an English-speaking audience. In 1950, he found the perfect solution by changing the title to “Autumn Leaves,” a phrase that resonated with listeners. The song was recorded by Jo Stafford and became a jazz standard. As autumn arrives in Montana, the leaves begin to change, providing a brief window for people to enjoy the vibrant colors before the season ends.

Local Forest Service and state park leaders from across the state shared recommendations on the best places to see fall foliage in Montana:

■ Seven Sisters Wildlife Management Area (located between Sidney and Glendive along the Yellowstone River)

Local tip: Be on the lookout for deciduous trees that will offer more colorful fall colors, and check out Glasgow in the fall along the Milk River for nice fall foliage pictures.

■„ Hi-Line (stretch of U.S. Highway 2)

Local tip: Start in the Glasgow area near Tampico Highway (Highway 246), and drive out to Tampico across the Tampico Bridge and then back towards town along the Riverside Drive Rd. Add stops in Malta, Chinook or Havre for a full loop.

„ ■Beaver Creek Park along Highway 234.

Local tip: Also try driving along the Missouri River along Highway 528 (mostly a gravel road) between Highway 24 and Highway 13. „

■Elk Island Wildlife Management Area

„■ Missouri River Corridor Local tip: Look out for the Cottonwood trees along the banks of the river from Holter Dam down to Fort Peck. „

■Rocky Mountain Front and surrounding rivers and creeks that drain from the front.

Local tip: The further north you go toward Glacier National Park and the Canadian border, the more you will see aspen trees with nice fall colors. „

■Sluice Boxes State Park and the Little Belt Mountains Local tip: View yellow aspensand larches in the fall at these locations. „

■Ten Mile Creek Environmental Trail Local tip: The one mile loop near Rimini features some beautiful aspen meadows.

■„ Trout Creek Environmental Trail (Interpretive six-mile out and back trail east of York) „

■Patrol Mountain Lookout (more challenging, 10 mile-trail at the end of Benchmark Road on the Rocky Mountain Front) „

■ Kings Hill Scenic Byway (located between Monarch and White Sulphur Springs) „

■Willard Creek Trail (located near Clancy)

■ Whitefish Mountain Resort

Local tip: The ski area is located on Forest Service land and has hiking trails open to the public before and after ski season. The larches blast cool colors that are within a short hike. „

■North Fork Flathead Local tip: Take the North Fork Road from Columbia Falls to see fall colors in Glacier National Park on the right side of the road and Flathead National Forest on the left. „

■Bison Range and the Mission Valley Local tip: The Bison Range is a must-see spot, but really any dirt road in the Mission Valley around Polson and Ronan will offer awesome colors in the fall.

■„ Jewel Basin Hiking Area Local tip: This is a great, easy hike with tons of sightseeing. Watch for bears.

„■ North Shore Flathead Lake Local tip: Just south of Kalispell, this state park transforms into a vast beach starting in fall as the lake recedes. The shoreline shines with yellows and oranges. The fall migration of birds is epic. Watch out for bird hunters. „

■West Valley Viewing Area Local tip: There are great fall birding opportunities with agriculture production in the backdrop.

Local tip: Starting in early October, the western larch needles turn yellow. „

■Tally Lake Ranger District Local tip: Check out the lower half of Good Creek Road (Forest Road 60) with a view of Johnson Peak scenic larch stands. For the hikers, the Tally Ranger District also has the Tally Ridge Trail (Trail 458) with a view of Tally Lake below and a hillside of larch beyond. „

■Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District Local tip: This area has many larches as a result of the fires in 2003 along the Hungry Horse Reservoir. Both the West Side Road (Forest Road 895) and the East Side Road (Forest Road 38) are very scenic drives with access to hiking trails, camping, boat launches, etc.

PLEASE NOTE: Forest Road 38 on the east side of the Hungry Horse Reservoir is closed and impassable just past mile marker 22 at the McInerney Creek crossing due to a construction project. The 22 miles north of the road remain open and are quite beautiful, with a turnaround available for large vehicles at Murray Bay Campground.

■„ Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway Local tip: There are several aspen stands along the byway that are stunning in the fall. Cliff and Wade Lakes are gorgeous as well as the Georgetown Lake area. „

■Goat Flats hike in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness Local tip: This hike has increible views and is about 7-8 miles roundtrip. „

■Lee Metcalf Wilderness, east of the Madison Valley. Local tip: The aspens in this area are stunning in the fall „

■Bannack State Park Local tip: Fall colors tend to be best around the third week of September. Plus, who doesn’t love a ghost town ahead of Halloween? „

■Big Hole National Battlefield „

■ Local tip: Head Up the Main Boulder past Newman Creek Road „

■East River Road, Paradise Valley „

■ Lower part of the Beartooth Highway „

■„ Lewistown or other island mountain ranges have lots of shrubs and bushes that change colors in the rolling foothills and open prairies that make for great views in big open spaces.