From DeSmet (MP 125.9), where there is a La Forge grain silo on the north side of the tracks as the Evaro Hill line trails into the north side of the 4th subdivision, still running along the Clark Fork River, the latter, Two Main Tracks, CTC, with speed limit 35 mph and the Bitterroot Mountains to the south heads southeast, past a spur at Rainglow (MP 123.8), the Roscoe Steel & Culvert Company's rail-served plant on the north side of the tracks, and Montana Rail Link’s headquarters, on the north side of the line, where MRL’s business cars are often stored, a petrochemical plant on the north side of the tracks, followed by the Roseburg Particle Board Mill, which is at the west end of a pipeline that is currently closed across the Flathead Indian Reservation between Evaro and Paradise.
The Missoula Yard is on the north side of the tracks, where the 2MT end, with a footbridge across the tracks, and a yard tower in the fanout at the east end of the yard. There is a wye on the south side where a branch runs south to Darby up the Bitterroot River valley. The multi-track Missoula station area (MP 119.3) is governed by Automatic Block Signals, within Yard Limits and a 25 mph speed limit. The brick Missoula depot and station platforms are to the south of the line, with stub tracks at the east end of the station. There is a loco terminal, with turntable, on the north side of the tracks, across from the depot. East of Missoula, the current MRL, former NP line, and the roadbed of the former Milwaukee line, parallel each other all the way into Garrison, sharing the narrow valley with the Clark Fork River, heading generally east-southeast. The Bitterroot Mountains form the southern wall of the valley.
The line east is single track, CTC, with speed limit 60 mph, turning just north of due east, and then east, bridging across the river twice to cut off a northern loop, and then turning southeast with the erstwhile Milwaukee right-of-way across the river to the south, past a spur at Stimson Lumber Company (MP 113.7), the 14,455 ft. siding at Bonner (MP 113.2), Turah, McQuarrie (MP 106.2), where there is a 55 mph speed restriction and the former Milwaukee r-o-w crosses the river to run between the MRL line and the river, a turn south, the 10,996 ft. siding at Clinton (MP 102.6), where the speed limit is back to 60 mph, a turn east, following the river, a spur at Bonita (MP 95.4), the 896 ft. Bonita Tunnel #5 (MP 94.4), a detector at MP 94.3, Wills, a turn just south of due east, the 909 ft. Nimrod Tunnel #4 (MP 90.8), a turn east-northeast and the 8,995 ft. siding at Nimrod (MP 88.7), where the speed limit is 55 mph.
The line crosses to the south bank of the river, with the former Milwaukee r-o-w still to its south, and turns curvily east, following the river, past the 12,996 ft. siding at Bearmouth (MP 80.1), where the speed limit is 45 mph, crossing the river to its north side again at Bradman (MP 75.7), where the speed limit is 55 mph, and turning curvily east-southeast past the 10,366 ft. siding at Drummond (MP 70.7), where the speed limit is back to 60 mph and there was once a wye on the south side with a branch south to Rumsey, and a detector at MP 64.6, a turn east to the 10,355 ft. siding at Jens (MP 61.4),a turn curvily southeast, bridging across the river again, a spur at Gold Creek (MP 58.2), a spur at MP 54.8, Phosphate (MP 54.7), where there was once a short branch north across the river to Brock Creek, the 1,394 ft. Garrison Tunnel #3 (MP 52.1), a turn just north of due east, and the 9,401 ft. siding at Garrison (MP 50.9), where the former line over Homestake Pass turns away the south; this longer remnant reaches through Deer Lodge to the junction with the UP at Silver Bow, and reaches to the mining town of Butte just on the west side of Homestake Pass. The former Milwaukee Road line over Pipestone Pass also ran this way, paralleling the former NP line all the way to Butte.
The Mullan Pass line continues just north of due east, to climb the west slope of the pass.