Sula was named for Ursula “Sula” Thompson, the first white child born in this area. Despite the official name of Sula, the area if often referred to as Ross Hole. The “hole,” or basin, was named for Alexander Ross of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The huge Charlie Russell painting which hangs behind the speaker’s desk in the House of Representatives chamber in Helena depicts Lewis and Clark’s meeting with the Flatheads at Ross Hole in September 1805. Near Sula is a sacred “medicine tree” with a ram’s horn embedded in its side. Explanations of how it got there are the source of many Indian legends. (from Cheney’s Names on the Face of Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company)

The Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness is a 158,516-acre wilderness of rugged mountains saddling the Continental Divide located in southwestern Montana near Sula. It is known for its high, rugged, and beautiful mountain scenery. This secluded stretch of the Great Divide gives rise to some of the world's finest trout streams, including Rock Creek and the Big Hole River. Cirques and hanging valleys with dozens of alpine lakes, long U-shapes forested valleys, and glacial moraines form a wilderness wonderland. Year-round snowbanks feed tumbling streams that rest only briefly in deep, canyon-lined pools. Inhabitants of this high country include mountain goats, elk, moose, deer, bears, mountain lions and a multitude of smaller mammals and birds.

Enjoy skiing at Lost Trail Powder Mountain and the rustic elegance of Lost Trail Hot Springs Resort, both just a short drive from Sula. The resort is in a national forest setting and offers a natural hot mineral Olympic pool, sauna, hot tub, and dining.