Scenic View
Photo courtesy: Eureka Chamber
Mountain View District
Photo courtesy: MTOT
Rendezous Days
Photo courtesy: Eureka Rendezous Days
Eureka, in the extreme northwest corner of Montana, was first named Deweyville after Ed Demer's wife's maiden name. The first buildings were on the banks of the Tobacco River. The town began building up the hill. A large sawmill, which supported the economy of the town, burned down in 1923.(from Cheney's Names on the Face of Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company)
Eureka was known as the Tobacco Plains and was originally home to the Kootenai Indians. The northern section of US Highway 93 was originally an Indian trail and was later used by fur traders and pack trains for travel between Missoula and Vancouver, B.C. David Thompson was the first white man to see the area in 1808. Homesteaders began to come in the 1880s. Eureka holds a "Rendezvous Days" every spring to commemorate Thompson's visit.
This area offers some of the state's scenic treasures tucked away in Montana's northwest corner. Tobacco River Campground is located adjacent to the Tobacco River in a natural forested area. It is also in the vicinity of 90-mile-long Lake Koocanusa and The Hoodoos, a limestone formation found in an adjoining bay off the lake. Ten Lakes Scenic Area treats visitors to mountain drives, pristine lakes and abundant fishing. For area history, visit the Tobacco Valley Historical Village. It is a unique collection of buildings and various structures from the 1880s to 1920s.
Today, year-round outdoor recreation is supporting the economy. Opportunitites range from hiking, fishing, hunting and biking to snowmobiling and cross country skiing in the Ten Lakes Scenic Area and surroundings.
Elevation: 2,566 feet.
