Hamilton

Home to retirees, gentleman ranchers, and the Ravalli County Museum, Hamilton (pop. 5,000) is a gateway to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. It was established by 19th-century industrialist Marcus Daly to house employees at his 22,000-acre Bitterroot Stock Farm. There he raised thoroughbred racehorses, funding the venture with part of the fortune he made mining copper in Montana. His own home, the Daly Mansion, is open for tours. The Bitterroot River offers exceptional fishing for wild Westslope cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout, and there are excellent guides in Darby and Missoula to help you find the fish.