For Clinton, Rock Creek Confluence offers a specific point of reference: The property is about six miles southeast of town and has a public walking trail and a parking lot. The trail length and shoreline are also quantified—helpful if you want to get a sense of different ways to spend time outdoors during your stay.
Walking Trail and Shoreline at Rock Creek Confluence
The property has an approximately one-third-mile, wheelchair-accessible trail. The shoreline along the Clark Fork River, meanwhile, stretches for 2.5 miles. These measurements describe different things: the first refers to the trail’s length, the second to the extent of the riverbank. If you primarily want to consider a specific walking distance when planning, the trail measurement is the relevant one; the shoreline provides a separate point of reference for the river.
The distance to Clinton is approximate: Rock Creek Confluence is about six miles southeast of town. Together with the public walking trail and parking lot, this makes for a well-defined destination for a stay focused on a walk and the Clark Fork River. The trail length and shoreline measurements can be considered separately rather than as a single route.
Fishing, River Trips and a Nature Trail
At Beavertail Hill State Park, a roughly half-mile stretch of the Clark Fork River offers opportunities for fishing and river trips. The river is therefore associated with two activities here. If you’re looking for a different kind of nature experience after spending time by the water, the park also has a self-guided nature trail through a dense stand of cottonwoods.
The walk on this nature trail is listed as taking one hour. This means there are two different trail references to consider: the approximately one-third-mile, wheelchair-accessible trail at Rock Creek Confluence and the one-hour walk at Beavertail Hill State Park. They differ in both the stated distance or walking time and their respective natural settings. When planning, you can therefore decide which information is more helpful based on your available time and interests.
Overnight options at Beavertail Hill State Park are also described specifically: There are 24 electrical hookup campsites and two tipi accommodations. Their availability may vary seasonally. These details refer to campsites and tipis; they offer a different kind of accommodation option from a motel with rooms.
Motel and Gear at Rock Creek
In addition to a fly shop, Rock Creek Fisherman's Mercantile has a six-room motel. Fishing opportunities on Rock Creek are a short distance away. The fully stocked shop carries flies, fishing accessories, rods, reels, lines, wading gear and clothing. This keeps the specific information about overnight stays and fishing gear distinct: the motel has six rooms, while the shop offers the listed equipment categories.
The names of the waterways also help clarify the fishing-related details. At Beavertail Hill State Park, the fishing and river trip opportunities mentioned are on the Clark Fork River. At Rock Creek Fisherman's Mercantile, the fishing opportunities are on Rock Creek. These are two distinct waterways, and the activities should not be understood as one combined trip.
More Things to Do in Clinton
The Clinton Skatepark is used by skateboarders, cyclists, roller skaters and scooter riders. This is another specific activity focus alongside the walking trails and fishing and river activities. The activities listed help you distinguish between options based on what you plan to do: walks and a nature trail on one hand, and river activities or using the skatepark on the other.
Discover more destinations: Lolo, Missoula, Seeley Lake.
Go to the main travel overview: Missoula County.
