The incredible scenery in western Montana will revitalize you. Come enjoy your visit in this beautiful and majestic area at the Mountain Spirit Inn.

All About Darby!

Elevation: 3,888 feet
Darby is in the Mountain Time Zone.

Darby is a small town located at the southern end of the Bitterroot Valley of southwestern Montana, just one hour from Missoula and thirty miles to the Idaho border. The Sapphire Mountains are to the East and the gorgeous Bitterroot Mountains are to the West, with many recreational opportunities abounding in the Bitterroot National Forest. The Bitterroot Valley is known as the Banana Belt for its slightly warmer temperatures than the surrounding mountains.

The community of Darby stretches down to the Idaho border and north to Charlos Heights. The Bitterroot National Forest surrounds it. Only 63 miles from Missoula, Darby can connect with the whole world via the Missoula International Airport and through the expanding telecommunications network. While being away from it all, you can still be in the middle of it all.

Darby was named in 1888 by its Postmaster, James Darby, who consulted no one about what the town should be named. Earlier names were Doolittle and Harrison. Darby has survived three fires that destroyed its main street. Darby’s overall architecture has a distinct western flair. Log buildings still stand as a reminder of the gold dust days. First it was the mining and fur trading, then in the early 1900s came a logging boom. The apple boom was also during this time. Next came the steady growth of agriculture, cattle ranching and the timber industry.

The first USDA Forest Service ranger station was established in Darby, and visitors will enjoy the National Museum of Forest Service History located there.

With a population in 2007 of 853 people, the town is a quiet one with spectacular scenery and fabulous fishing opportunities. Just minutes away are the East and the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, known for some of the finest fishing in the country. The Painted Rock State Park and reservoir, as well as other streams and lakes make Darby prime territory for the fishing enthusiast. With Brook Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, and Westslope Cutthroat Trout prevalent, Darby and its surrounding areas is the perfect fishing destination providing a once in a life time "Big Sky" experience.

Darby is located on Highway 93, which constitutes part of the Lewis and Clark Trail, this scenic highway goes all the way from Canada to Mexico, and it is part of the TransAmerica Bicycle Path, and it is close to the Continental Divide Hiking Trail.

Darby's Pioneer Memorial Museum was originally one of the first hand-hewn homestead cabins built in the area. It was crafted by early settler Evelin Matteson in 1886 on his homestead near the mouth of Tin Cup Creek. In 1958 an interested citizen purchased the building and paid to have it moved to its present location, adjacent to the city park on U.S. Highway 93. It became a museum depository for the extensive collection of both home and business artifacts saved by the many pioneer families in the area. A photo of the cabin at its original site is on display at the museum along with a large number of early-day photographs and memorabilia of Darby and its people.

Early Forest Rangers, Than Wilkerson and Henry Tuttle, constructed a one-room Lodgepole Pine cabin with a sod roof in June 1899. The resulting Alta cabin, the first ranger station in the United States, still stands on the West Fork Ranger District. Alta Pine, the oldest ponderosa pine in the Bitterroot Valley, can be seen before reaching the ranger station. The incredible scenery in western Montana will revitalize you.