Painted Rocks State Park - Slate Creek

Located near Alta in the scenic West Fork Valley of the Bitterroot Mountains, the Slate Creek access point at Painted Rocks State Park provides a boat ramp and dock for launching onto Painted Rocks Lake on the West Fork Bitterroot River. The ramp is particularly valuable during late summer when water levels drop, as it often remains one of the few ramps deep enough to accommodate boat launches in the area. The access features two separate sections, giving paddlers and boaters options for parking and entry.

The park offers excellent amenities for a full day trip or weekend getaway, including 25 campsites (both reservable options nearby), vault toilets, picnic tables, grills, and fire rings. The setting is beautiful year-round, with distinctive green, yellow, and orange lichens covering the granite and rhyolite cliffs along the West Fork Road. Two nearby campgrounds—Fales Flat and Alta—provide additional lodging options within 10 miles. At 4,724 feet elevation in a western pine forest setting, Painted Rocks is a scenic destination for boating, fishing, and camping in the Bitterroot Mountains.