Existed: 1934 – present Length 146.6 km Major cities Seeley Lake | North end: MT 35 north of Bigfork Constructed 1934 | |
South end: MT 200 at Clearwater Junction Counties Flathead County, Montana, Lake County, Montana, Missoula County, Montana | ||
Montana Highway 83 (MT 83) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Montana connecting MT 200 east of Missoula to MT 35 north of Bigfork.
Contents
Map of MT-83, Montana, USA
Route description
MT 83 starts at the intersection with MT 200 at Clearwater Junction, about 40 miles (64 km) east of Missoula, and runs north-northwesterly, mostly through broad, forested valleys and along scenic lakeshores within the Lolo National Forest, Flathead National Forest and Swan River State Forest, before curving west to its northern terminus at MT 35 about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Bigfork. The region is sparsely settled, with small communities economically dependent on a mixture of logging and tourism. The largest communities along the route are Seeley Lake, Condon and Swan Lake.
MT 83 passes through mostly forest landscape, and wildlife crossings should be expected at all times. Elk herds crossing near Clearwater Junction can be hard to see at night.
History
Most of today's MT 83 has existed since at least 1934, originally designated as part of MT 31 as depicted on the 1935 state map.
From 1960 until 1977, the southerly 84 miles (135 km) of MT 83 were a part of Secondary Highway 209 (S-209), and the northernmost 7 miles (11 km) were designated as S-326.
Since 1978, a small segment of S-209 survives under its original designation, between Bigfork and a junction with the current MT 83 near Ferndale. (The S-326 designation was later reused on an unrelated highway in southeastern Carter County, Montana.)