Three Bells Cabin
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Built circa 1920, by a prominent local family, Three Bells Cabin has just been beautifully restored. It sits on 2.8 unique and wooded acres at the confluence of Dowling Creek and the Bitterroot River’s East Fork. With more than 1,000 feet of river frontage and two sides bordering National Forest land you'll be enticed to explore farther up the river or back into Dowling Gulch.
This chinked log cabin has seen many generations of fun family gatherings. And much remains original, but now you can revel in running water and indoor plumbing, with a tiled shower. Plus, the convenience of a washer and dryer.
The bedroom is cozy with a gas fireplace and queen log bed. The front sunporch or “sleeping porch” boasts lots of windows and another queen log bed. A comfortable handmade futon also sleeps two. The kitchen is fully equipped and the lovely stone fireplace in the living room draws everyone in.
Needing a break from the madly whirling world? Here you can sink into the deep serenity of a life without T.V., internet, or telephone (the closest cell signal is 3 miles away at Mink Creek). After the sun goes down, you'll take to relaxing on the porch to the sweet cadence of the natural world, or to slipping a movie into the DVD player.
Be sure to visit the namesake huge bells located on a knoll just over the creek. And see if you can find the other big bell atop another hill.
A hop, skip, and jump from outdoor recreation of all kinds, Three Bells Cabin is a superb mountain retreat in the heart of land that you already own—your National Forest.
Come and enjoy it!
Sleeps 6.
✭Location: east of Sula, MT
Riverside Cottage
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Indeed, you could just plant yourself in one of the flowered chintz lounges, or at the picnic table, and watch the mountain waters roll by!
And yet, with the location of Riverside Cottage at the southern end of the Bitterroot Valley, you are only a jaunt from the Continental Divide Trail, countless other hikes in the Selway-Bitterroot-Salmon Wilderness, half a dozen hot springs, horseback riding, blue ribbon fishing, lake canoeing, river running, and excellent downhill, cross-country, and skate skiing. All of which make Riverside Cottage a recreationist’s castle.
Cheery and spacious, this one-bedroom abode sits just 50 feet from the Bitterroot River’s East Fork. The surprisingly roomy living area takes you back to a time to when entertainment meant socializing with one another. Break out the board games or bring along your pastels and paper and sketch the grand landscape from the window. Finish that memoir you’ve been writing, browse our cabin library and settle in for a good read, or slip a good movie into the DVD player (you’re walking distance to the general store where you can rent DVDs). An absence of the usual distractions—television, internet, and telephone (cellular service is limited)—will spark all sorts of natural diversions.
Crawl into the queen bed for a sound sleep, or the living room’s comfortable queen-sized La-Z-Boy sleep sofa. The kitchen is amply equipped and, for charmed outdoor dining, the covered porch facing the river has a charcoal BBQ grill.
Backyard bliss!
Sleeps 4.
✭Location: near Conner, MT
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Bighorn sheep from the nearby Sula herd.
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