HAUGAN — The Savenac Historic Tree Nursery in Haugan is a great place to see the trees but, it is closed this summer to make sure people can keep enjoying its history for years to come.
“It’s the first tree nursery in the Forest Service,” said Abby Lane, the Superior District ranger for the Lolo National Forest.
Watch the full story:
Savenac has deep roots in Haugan, where it was founded in 1907 by the Lolo National Forest's first forest supervisor.
Its trees even helped reestablish the Lolo National Forest after a devastating fire in 1910.
“They grew doug fir, western larch and western white pine, which they planted here, and some of those trees are still growing today,” Lane said.
While the nursery no longer grows seedlings for the region’s forests, the site is still a popular spot. It has a visitors center, walking paths and even historic buildings for rent.
Just a quick detour off Interstate 90, both passersby and locals come to enjoy the trees and the history.
“It's a great place for visitors on the I-90 corridor to stop and stretch their legs,” Lane said. “It's also a place that community members come to take walks, have weddings, hold retirement parties.”
But, historic buildings come with historical challenges.
The nursery’s current water and sewer systems were installed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
Now, with funding from the Great American Outdoors Act, the Forest Service is updating the systems this summer.
“Some of the features may still have wooden pipes,” Lane said. “We're going to upgrade it to the 2025 standards and keep this place going.”
The Nursery will be closed until September 30, 2025 but, there are still plenty of other places to get outdoors.
Lane recommends checking out recreation.gov for inspiration and information.
“There's also the Ninemile Historic Visitor Center,” she said. “That's similar to this site with a bunch of historic buildings.”
After the upgrades, the Nursery will be up and running, with running water, and ready for more visitors.
“It will keep Savenac going for the next 100 years,” Lane said.
