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🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Florence & the Bitterroot Valley, Montana
Bitterroot Valley day trip: Montana's 1841 St. Mary's Mission, Lee Metcalf refuge ponds and the Lewis and Clark camp at Travelers' Rest.
6 places · updated October 17, 2026
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Florence sits on US-93 in the lower Bitterroot Valley, about 20 miles south of Missoula, with the Bitterroot Range rising to the west and the Sapphire Mountains to the east. The Bitterroot River runs down the valley floor, and within a short drive you can walk a wildlife refuge, stand where the Lewis and Clark expedition camped, and tour the mission that began Montana's first pioneer community in 1841. Missoula's riverfront and museums are a half-hour north.
Big Sky Lavender Farms grows about 2,400 lavender plants near Florence and turns them into pillow sprays, roll-on oils and magnesium products sold through its online shop. The farm does not publish visiting days or bloom dates, so treat it as a place to order from rather than a stop on the map, and contact the farm before planning a visit. Summer is the easiest time to come: the mission, Fort Owen and the Travelers' Rest visitor center all keep their longest hours from May through September, and downtown Missoula fills Caras Park with markets, food trucks and live music.
The lavender farms
- Big Sky Lavender FarmsLavender farm · Florence
Royal Velvet and Folgate flower in early summer; Grosso in midsummer
The farm's website lists no public visiting hours, U-pick days or tours; goods are sold through their online shop.
Best time to visit
Fort Owen State Park opens March 1 and closes for winter after October 31, and Historic St. Mary's Mission runs tours from mid-April to mid-October. Travelers' Rest State Park's visitor center keeps daily hours from May 1 to September 30 and switches to Wednesday-through-Sunday hours from October through April. In Missoula, Caras Park hosts Out to Lunch on Wednesday afternoons and Downtown Tonight on Thursday evenings from June through August, with Saturday farmers markets; the Missoula Marathon is every June and the River City Roots Festival brings bluegrass to downtown in late summer. Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge is open year-round from sunrise to sunset, and its visitor ponds are a reliable place to watch waterfowl. In fall and winter the Daly Mansion in Hamilton opens its grounds on weekdays and offers house tours by reservation (it is closed October 14–23). Big Sky Lavender Farms has not published bloom dates.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Bass Creek Recreation Area🥾 Trail · Stevensville · about 8 mi, 15 min drive
A Bitterroot National Forest canyon at the foot of the Bitterroot Range with a 0.3-mile accessible interpretive nature trail, the 6.6-mile Bass Creek Day Use Trail, and Bass Creek Trail #4 running 8.6 miles up to Bass Lake. Charles Waters Campground is here too.
Campground $15 per night per site (2026); no day-use fee listed
- Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge🌲 Preserve · Stevensville · about 10 mi, 18 min drive
About 2,800 acres of Bitterroot River floodplain forest, wetlands and grassland. The ponds beside the visitor center are the refuge's best spot for watching and photographing waterfowl, and the Kenai Nature Trail starts at headquarters.
Refuge sunrise to sunset year-round; visitor center Monday–Saturday 8 AM–4:30 PM
- Historic St. Mary's Mission🏛️ Historic site · Stevensville · about 11 mi, 18 min drive
Founded in 1841 under Father Pierre Jean De Smet, the mission complex marks Montana's first pioneer community, where farming, medicine and schooling first took hold. Guided tours and a gift shop.
Mid-April to mid-October
- Fort Owen State Park🌳 State park · Stevensville · about 11 mi, 18 min drive
John Owen set up his trading fort here in 1850; you can step inside the adobe East Barracks from 1857 and see the original root cellar and well. A small, quick stop with a picnic table and interpretive signs.
March 1–October 31, daily 9 AM–6 PM
Free for Montana residents who pay the state parks fee with vehicle registration; nonresidents $8 per vehicle
- Travelers' Rest State Park🌳 State park · Lolo · about 7 mi, 12 min drive
The Corps of Discovery camped here in September 1805 and again in 1806, and archaeologists found physical evidence of the expedition in 2002. Trails follow Lolo Creek, and the visitor center covers the expedition and Salish culture.
Park daily 9 AM–5 PM; visitor center daily 9:30 AM–4:30 PM May–September, Wednesday–Sunday 10 AM–4 PM October–April
Free for Montana residents who pay the state parks fee with vehicle registration; nonresidents $8 per vehicle
- Historical Museum at Fort Missoula🏛️ Museum · Missoula · about 15 mi, 25 min drive
A 32-acre historic park with more than 20 preserved buildings and structures, and a permanent exhibit on the people held at the Fort Missoula alien detention center. A self-guided walking tour covers the grounds.
Tuesday–Saturday 11 AM–5 PM
- Caras Park and A Carousel for Missoula🏞️ Park · Missoula · about 18 mi, 30 min drive
Downtown's riverside park holds the hand-crafted ponies of A Carousel for Missoula, the all-abilities Dragon Hollow playground and the Riverfront Trail, where you can watch surfers ride Brennan's Wave on the Clark Fork.
Year-round; summer events Wednesdays and Thursdays June–August
- Daly Mansion🏛️ Historic site · Hamilton · about 28 mi, 40 min drive
A state-owned mansion and grounds run by a preservation trust with the University of Montana, that runs candlelight tours (2026). In fall and winter the grounds are open on weekdays and the house is seen by private tour only.
October–December: grounds Monday–Friday 10 AM–4 PM, house tours by reservation 48–72 hours ahead; closed October 14–23
$15 adults, $14 seniors, $13 veterans and military, $8 ages 6–17, free 5 and under
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Florence Coffee Co.Café or coffee shop · Florence
The family coffee company started here in 2003 and now roasts in Butte; its Florence drive-thru on US-93 opens at 5:30 AM on weekdays.
- Bayern BrewingBrewery or taproom (21+) · Missoula
Missoula's oldest operating microbrewery, brewing German-style beer since 1987 and serving scratch-made Bavarian dishes like schnitzel and brat and kraut (21+ to taste).
- Big Sky Brewing Co.Brewery or taproom (21+) · Missoula
The Missoula brewery behind Moose Drool brown ale, with a taproom open daily from noon (21+ to taste).
- Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Visitor CenterGift shop · Missoula
A free visitor center at the elk foundation's Missoula headquarters with hands-on elk exhibits, trophy mounts and a walking trail, open Monday to Saturday.
- Liquid PlanetCafé or coffee shop · Missoula
A Missoula coffee and tea company with organic coffee, chai and cocoa; the Brooks Street grille is open daily 8 to 8.
A one-day plan
- 9:30 AMFlorence Coffee Co.
Coffee in Florence before heading south; about 20 minutes. Big Sky Lavender Farms nearby does not publish visiting hours, so order its lavender goods online or contact the farm ahead.
- 10:00 AMLee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge · about 18 min drive
Watch waterfowl from the visitor center ponds and walk the Kenai Nature Trail; about 1 hour.
- 11:15 AMHistoric St. Mary's Mission · about 8 min drive
Take the guided tour of the 1841 mission site (mid-April to mid-October); about 1 hour.
- 12:20 PMFort Owen State Park · about 5 min drive
Step into the 1857 adobe barracks and read the signs; about 30 minutes.
- 1:30 PMBayern Brewing · about 35 min drive
Late lunch of Bavarian dishes in Missoula (full kitchen Wednesday–Saturday, snack menu Sunday–Tuesday); about 1 hour.
- 2:45 PMCaras Park and A Carousel for Missoula · about 10 min drive
Ride the carousel, let kids loose at Dragon Hollow and walk the Riverfront Trail to Brennan's Wave; about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- 4:15 PMHistorical Museum at Fort Missoula · about 12 min drive
Walk the historic grounds and see the detention center exhibit before the 5 PM close (Tuesday–Saturday); about 45 minutes, then about 25 minutes back to Florence.
Tips
- Montana residents get in free at Fort Owen and Travelers' Rest through the state parks fee on their vehicle registration; nonresidents pay $8 per vehicle at each.
- Fort Owen closes for winter after October 31 and St. Mary's Mission tours stop in mid-October, so plan history stops for spring through early fall.
- The Fort Missoula museum is closed Sundays and Mondays, and the Lee Metcalf visitor center is closed Sundays and federal holidays.
- Check the Bitterroot National Forest alerts and fire danger rating before hiking at Bass Creek; campfires are only allowed in designated rings.
- Bayern and Big Sky Brewing pour beer, so plan a designated driver if anyone in your group is tasting.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
Can you visit Big Sky Lavender Farms?
The farm does not publish visiting days or hours; its lavender sprays, roll-on oils and magnesium products are sold through its online shop, so contact the farm before going.
How far is Florence from Missoula?
About 20 miles south on US-93, roughly a 30-minute drive to downtown Missoula.
When is Historic St. Mary's Mission open?
From mid-April to mid-October, with guided tours.
Is there a fee at Travelers' Rest State Park?
Montana residents who pay the state parks fee with their vehicle registration get in free; nonresidents pay $8 per vehicle or $4 on foot or by bike.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
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