Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Clark Fork Riverfront Trail connects to the 2.5-mile
Kim Williams Nature Trail,
a converted railroad bed near the base of Mount Sentinel (where you can hike the M) that
winds through a 134-acre natural area in Hellgate Canyon. The trail is wide and level, and
it is open to pedestrians, equestrians, and cyclists. It's also frequented by wildlife, so keep
your eyes open. The trail runs through Hellgate Canyon and connects to the Deer Creek-
Pattee Canyon Loop. The trail can easily be accessed from Jacob's Island Park near the Van
Buren Pedestrian Bridge. Leashed dogs are welcome on all of Missoula's trails.
M TRAIL ON MOUNT SENTINEL
For a bird's-eye view of the city, hike up the
M Trail on Mount Sentinel.
It is a popular
trail, so there will likely be others huffing and puffing up the hill with you. There are 13
switchbacks on the west-facing slope, and the views over Missoula and the Bitterroot Val-
ley at sunset are worth the sweat.
Skiing
Twenty minutes north of Missoula,
Snowbowl
(1700 Snowbowl Rd., 406/549-9777 or 800/
728-2695,
www.montanasnowbowl.com
,
$44 adults full-day or $39 half-day, $41 students
and seniors full-day or $39 half-day, $19 children 6-12 full- or half-day, free for children
under 6) is a nice little ski hill with an average of 300 inches of snow annually, 2,600 feet
of vertical drop, and a run that covers three miles. In summer, the mountain is open Friday-
Sunday late June-mid-September for mountain biking, disc golf (folf), and diggler, which
is a cross between mountain biking and snowboarding (rentals available).
There is no shortage of cross-country ski trails around Missoula. One unique destination
is the
Garnet Resource Area
(406/329-3883 or 406/329-3914,
www.garnetghosttown.net
)
,
with 50 miles of trails in a ghost town. In summer, hiking and mountain biking are popular.
To get to Garnet, follow Highway 200 east of town and turn south at the Garnet Range
Road, located between mile markers 22 and 23, about 30 miles east of Missoula. Follow the
range road approximately 12 miles to the parking area. The road is closed January 1-April
30, when access is limited to snowshoers, cross-country skiers, and snowmobilers.
HANG GLIDING IN MISSOULA
While it makes some people crazy, for others the combination of wind and mountains
in Missoula means only one thing: hang gliding. It's not uncommon to see these
colorful oversize-kite contraptions launching off Mount Sentinel and soaring over
