Painted Rocks Reservoir cliffs (Blue Joint Road)
UnverifiedBeginner (0-30 ft)45.71833, -114.28226
Confirmed by 0 jumpers
A reservoir on the West Fork of the Bitterroot ringed by granite walls streaked orange and green with lichen — the painted rocks the place is named for. Along Blue Joint Road just across the dam there are ledges from about 10 to 20 feet into cold, deep sub-alpine water. It is 22 miles up a dead-end road, so it stays quiet even in August.
Jumps at this location
Lower ledges
10 ft
Beginner (0-30 ft)
Upper ledges
20 ft
Beginner (0-30 ft)
Warnings
Irrigation releases drop the water level hard in late summer — the same ledge that was a 12-foot jump in July can be 20 feet over shallower water in September, so re-check depth every trip. Cold water year-round; it sits at 4,700 ft under shaded walls.
Access
Painted Rocks State Park, West Fork Road (MT-473), about 22 miles southwest of Darby. Cross the dam and follow Blue Joint Road along the shore; the pin is the dam, and the jumping ledges are the granite along the road above it. 25 first-come campsites at the park, with Slate Creek Campground two miles north as a backup.
Best conditions
July through mid-August, while the reservoir is still full.