Painted Rocks Lake

Painted Rocks Lake Painted Rocks received its name from the green, yellow and orange lichens which cover the grey and black rock walls of the granite and rhyolite cliffs.

Located in the West Fork Valley of the Bitterroot Mountains, Painted Rocks Reservoir offers boating, camping, and fishing in a scenic, western pine-forest setting. Activities Available:
Bird Watching, Boating, Camping, Canoeing, Fishing, Hiking, Lake Fishing, Motor Boating, Nature, Photography, Picnicking, RV Camping, Sightseeing, Swimming, Tent Camping, Wildlife Viewing. Services and Amenities Av

ailable:
ADA Accessible, Boat Launch, Campsite, Dock, Established Fire Pits, Grills/Fire Rings, Group Use, Rentals, Pets Allowed, Picnic Shelter, Picnic Tables, Pack-in/Pack-out, Public Restroom, Toilets (Vault)

For Information about Camping Fees click on this link: http://stateparks.mt.gov/fees/feesAll.html

Painted Rocks Lake is located in the West Fork Valley of the Bitterroot Mountains, Painted Rocks Reservoir offers boating, camping, and fishing in a scenic, western pine-forest setting. Wildlife abounds in the area around Painted Rocks. Elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, black bear, and moose can be found here. In the 1980s, bighorn mountain sheep as well as peregrine falcons were reintroduced to the area. The reservoir is used as a stopping ground for waterfowl during spring and autumn migrations. Don't be surprised if you see osprey, great blue heron, water ouzels, spotted sandpiper or kill-deer. In 1939, the Montana Water Conservation Board began construction on Painted Rocks Dam. Originally constructed for agricultural use, the Painted Rocks Reservoir now provides water for irrigation, stockwater, domestic use,and in-stream flows for fish. The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the forks of the Bitterroot River on September 7, 1805. Fifteen years later, the valley had become an important corridor for American and English fur companies as well as the "mountain men" of the era. The West Fork of the Bitterroot, like the rest of the Bitterroot Valley and much of western Montana, has been part of the homeland of the Salish people for countless millennia. It was always a place of importance to the Salish as a particularly good hunting area, as well as a place rich in other important traditional foods, including huckleberries, serviceberries, bitterroot, trout and other fish and mountain tea. The park is 23 acres in size and is 4,724 feet in elevation. This area offers 25 sites, a boat ramp and a dock. Limit on length of RV/trailers is 25 feet.

09/10/2025

Dam tender JR Iman told the Ravalli Republic that late summer rains boosted below average water levels and saved what was set to be a “tough season.”

07/24/2025

Painted Rocks Reservoir stopped their spill on June 17, marking approximately 40 days until irrigators are out of water.

08/11/2022

Your weekly statewide fishing report

08/11/2022
07/25/2022

Family camping at Rombo Campground, West Fork Ranger District, 1966.

Trail Maintenance Projects coming right up. Click below for more information.
06/30/2022

Trail Maintenance Projects coming right up. Click below for more information.

05/28/2022

Painted Rocks Reservoir on the West Fork of the Bitterroot River is full. Besides being a popular recreational lake, this reservoir 30 miles southwest of Darby is an important source of water for irrigators and downstream fisheries. It's a sure sign of spring when runoff fills the reservoir. Water s...

I drove passed this cleanup site just last weekend. It was heart-breaking to see all the garbage bags, all the shopping ...
05/18/2022

I drove passed this cleanup site just last weekend. It was heart-breaking to see all the garbage bags, all the shopping carts, etc. There was no beauty in that scene. It doesn't matter who you are... clean up after yourselves folks!!! If you are out camping in the forest, having a picnic at a park, hiking with your pals on a trail, use common sense and clean up your mess!!!

Before spring, trash lined the Clark Fork River under the Reserve Street Bridge in Missoula. Tents, bikes and shopping carts were all at risk of washing down the river. As the leaves turned green and the river began to rise, volunteers spent five days across a few weeks to prevent what they said wou...

05/09/2022

Address

8809 W Fork Road
Darby, MT
59829

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Painted Rocks Lake posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Painted Rocks Lake:

Shortcuts

Share