The Sapphire Mountains are a range of mountains located in southwestern Montana in the northwestern United States. From a point near the Clark Fork River and the city of Missoula, they run in a southerly direction for a distance of approximately 60 miles (100 km), making up much of the border between Ravalli County and Granite County. To the west is the Bitterroot Valley, and to the east is Rock Creek. The southern end of the range meets the larger Anaconda Range at West Pintler Peak.
The Sapphire Mountains as seen from the Bitterroot Valley
Missoula is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges, thus it is often described as the "hub of five valleys". The 2020 United States Census shows the city's population at 73,489 and the population of the Missoula Metropolitan Area at 122,458. Missoula is the 2nd largest city and metropolitan area in Montana. Missoula is home to the University of Montana, a public research university.
Missoula, Montana
Teepees at the site of Missoula, south of the Clark Fork River, facing northeast
View of downtown from Mt. Sentinel
Missoula Valley