![\"Lake](\"http:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/CAT20140725MontanaS326.jpg\")
<\/a>Montana\u00a0has a number of trails with minimal obstacles. \u00a0Some are very easy and others are wheelchair accessible. \u00a0Here are just a few of them. Beaverhead – Deerlodge National Forest Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area<\/strong> Flathead National Forest Flathead National Forest <\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Glacier National Park Trail of the Cedars<\/a>\u00a0– a short wheelchair accessible loop trail through cedar forest. Helena – Lewis and Clark National Forest Idaho Panhandle National Forests Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge<\/strong> Lolo National Forest Yellowstone National Park<\/strong> Here is the Park website.<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Phone\u00a0\u00a0307-344-7381\u00a0\u00a0Accessibility Guide<\/a> Lone Pine State Park<\/strong> Montana State Parks’ page on “Crossing the Barriers”<\/strong><\/a> – Improving Access to Montana’s Outdoor Recreation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Pdf Guide to Montana State Parks<\/a>\u00a0 Short summaries about each state park with contact information.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Montana Wildlife Management Areas<\/strong> <\/a>are searchable by ADA accessibility<\/a> on the Montana Fish,\u00a0Wildlife and Parks site. \u00a0 Map<\/a> of the Wildlife Management Areas. \u00a0The accessibility ratings are Easy, Moderate, Difficult, and Most Difficult. \u00a0There is no description of just what is meant by these. \u00a0 A search for hiking trails in the wildlife management areas turns up no Easy trails. \u00a0Only two, Blue-eyed Nellie<\/a> and Bull River<\/a> are rated as moderate.\u00a0 Try calling Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to learn more 406-444-2535. Spring Meadow Lake State Park Billings<\/strong> Here is a website from Billings Parks and Recreation.<\/a> \u00a0It describes local trails by categories such as soft or hard surface. \u00a0 I suspect many of these trails would qualify for this website, but ease and\u00a0accessibility are not directly addressed. \u00a0 Their telephone number is\u00a0(406) 657-8371.<\/p>\n Butte-Silver Bow<\/strong> Missoula\u00a0<\/strong> Parks & Recreation<\/a> This guide to “trails in & around Missoula<\/a>” has excellent descriptions and directions.<\/p>\n Teller Wildlife Refuge<\/strong><\/a> is 1200 acres of bottom land in the Bitteroot Valley. \u00a0The refuge is on private land, but has a one mile nature trail. \u00a0I am guessing that this trail is easy enough for inclusion here, but please call 406-961-3507 to be sure. \u00a0 More information<\/a>.\u00a0 Here is their website<\/a>. MonTECH<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0‘s website is an outstanding resource. \u00a0 They are\u00a0 “…focused on increasing outdoor recreation opportunities for Montanans with disabilities and those who experience limitations through aging in a variety of ways.” \u00a0 A search of their interactive site<\/a> for “hiking<\/a>” came up with 30 matching locations with links to descriptions and contacts for each. \u00a0Phone; (406) 243-5751 Voice\/TTY \u00a0(877) 243-5511 Voice\/TTY Toll-Free<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Montana Birding Trail<\/a> \u00a0 This is an excellent guide to places for birding. \u00a0Difficulty and accessibility are not addressed, but there is contact information at the bottom of each birding place’s page.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Nature For The Blind<\/a> has a directory of Braille trails for almost every state in the US and for many other countries.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> The\u00a0Rails-to-Trails Conservancy<\/a>\u00a0lists wheelchair accessible trails in Montana.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> TravelMT.com<\/a><\/strong> has a long alphabetical list of hikes. \u00a0They do give length and difficulty, once you click on\u00a0each link. \u00a0Useful if you already know where you want to go, but time consuming if you are searching for ideas.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul> Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Montana\u00a0has a number of trails with minimal obstacles. \u00a0Some are very easy and others are wheelchair accessible. \u00a0Here are just a few of them. Most of the links given were found through Internet search. Some places I have been able to visit and a few have been recommended to me by other people who have … Continue reading TravelMt.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-191","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=191"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5866,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/191\/revisions\/5866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMost of the links given were found through Internet search. Some places I have been able to visit and a few have been recommended to me by other people who have been there. With your help, we can share our knowledge with disabled people everywhere and also increase awareness of the need for more accessibility. Please e-mail me with your suggestions using the form in the sidebar.
\n<\/a>Federal<\/a>
\nState
\n<\/a> Local
\n<\/a> Private
\n<\/a> Miscellaneous<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Federal<\/h2>\n
\n<\/strong>Astride the Continental Divide in southwest Montana, the 3.3-million-acre encompasses\u00a0 a dozen or so mountain ranges offering a variety of recreational opportunity.\u00a0 \u00a0 Here is the Forest website<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0Phone 406-683-3900
\n<\/a>Cliff and Wade Lakes Interpretive trail<\/a>\u00a0 described on Montana’s Official State Travel Site<\/a> as “An easy, interpretive nature walk.” \u00a0It is a \u00a02 mile loop between Hilltop and Wade Lake Campgrounds. \u00a0Call\u00a0406-682-4253 to be sure of difficulty and conditions.<\/p>\n
\nBighorn Canyon NRA’s over 120,000 acres offers an “astounding diversity in ecosystems, wildlife, and more than 10,000 years of human history to explore.”
\nHiking Guide<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Map\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 This recreation area bridges Montana and Wyoming.
\nDriving directions from Montana and Wyoming<\/a>\u00a0 Links to Trail Descriptions<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Here is their website<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0Phone 406-666-2412 or 307-548-5406\u00a0\u00a0Accessibility<\/a>
\nTwo Eagles Interpretive Trail <\/a>0.25 miles round trip
\n
\n<\/a><\/a>Bighorn Headgate Trail<\/a> rated as an\u00a0easy gravel path of 0.1 mile round trip\u00a0to “quiet picnic area”.
\n<\/a>Lockhart Ranch Trail<\/a>\u00a0consists of a choice of loops, one 0.5 miles, the other 2 miles. \u00a0Both are old dirt roads.
\nVisitor Center Pond<\/a> \u00a00.26 mile \u00a0“…a great place to see red-winged blackbirds and boreal chorus frogs during the summer.”<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>\u00a0Flathead National Forest’s 2.4 million acres include three wilderness areas.\u00a0 The Forest offers numerous lakes, streams, and rivers and is home to an abundance of wildlife including lynx, grizzly bear, and bull trout.\u00a0 There are five ranger districts.\u00a0 Description from National Forests Foundation<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Here is the Forest website.<\/a>
\nPhones –\u00a0Tally Lake Ranger District: 406-758-5204;\u00a0Glacier View,\u00a0Spotted Bear (winter) and Hungry Horse Ranger Districts: 406-387-3800.\u00a0 Spotted Bear (summer) 406-758-5376;\u00a0Swan Lake Ranger District 406-837-7500.
\n<\/a>Krause Basin Interpretive Trail<\/a>\u00a0 is a 0.25 mile loop with ”\u00a012 numbered stations with interpretive information provided via a trail guide brochure<\/a> available at the trail head. The trail loops through a stand of old-growth western hemlock forest and a regenerating clearcut logged in the 1960s. The trail guide provides information on how forests recycle themselves and provide benefits to humans from medicine to lumber. \u00a0The trail has a compacted gravel surface suitable for baby strollers and wheelchairs.”<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>“The Flathead National Forest contains three wilderness areas, two ski areas, impressive mountain ranges, lakes, wild and scenic rivers, campgrounds, picnic areas, and cabins.”
\nHere is the Forest website<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0 Supervisor’s Office 406-758-5208
\nTally Lake Ranger District phone 406-758-5204
\nGlacier View Ranger District, Hungry Horse Ranger District, and
\nSpotted Bear Ranger District (winter) 406-387-3800
\nSpotted Bear Ranger District (Summer) 406-758-5376 (summer)
\nSwan Lake Ranger District 406-837-7500
\nHere is a brochure<\/a> listing a few trails in the Forest with “gentle to\u00a0 moderate” slopes.\u00a0 The following “comply with Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines”
\n<\/a>Round Meadow Trail 1 – 13 miles<\/p>\n<\/a>Tally Lake Trail 0.4 miles<\/p>\n<\/a>Krause Basin Interpretive Trail 0.3 mile<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Glacier National Park’s 1,583\u00a0 square miles contain “…pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, and spectacular lakes.”\u00a0 The Park habitats encompass several ecotones and exhibit a wide variety of macro and micro habitats.\u00a0 There are 26 glaciers, all of them shrinking.\u00a0 Glacier shares a 21 mile (33.7 km) border with Canada’s Waterton National Park.\u00a0 Bring your passport and visit them both by driving the Going To The Sun highway.
\nHere is the Park website<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Accessible\u00a0Facilities and Services<\/a>.
\nPhone 406-888-7800<\/p>\nThere is an accessible nature trail from the Visitors Center on Logan Pass. \u00a0Be sure to bring warm, wind and rain-proof clothing.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nAs described in\u00a0EveryTrail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a>Running Eagle Falls<\/a> – According to Glacier Guides Montana Raft, this is a “1 mile loop with 15 feet elevation gain.” \u00a0It is “on your way into the Two Medicine valley.”<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>These two Forests, now joined into one, amount to about 2,846,600 acres in central Montana\u00a0in the Rocky Mountains, straddling the Continental Divide and including multiple mountain ranges.\u00a0 There are\u00a08 ranger districts.
\nHere is the Forest website<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0 Description from National Forests Foundation<\/a>.
\nPhone numbers: Helena Supervisor’s Office: 406-449-5201,\u00a0Great Falls\u00a0Supervisor’s Office:\u00a0406-791-7700,\u00a0\u00a0Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center:\u00a0(406) 727-8733.
\n<\/a>Trout Creek Canyon Trail<\/a>\u00a0The first mile of this three mile trail through Trout Creek Canyon is wheelchair accessible. \u00a0The remaining two miles are described as easy with an elevation gain of 800′. \u00a0“Hikers can pick up an interpretive brochure at the trailhead signboard that hikers can refer to as they reach one of the ten numbered benchmarks along the first mile of their hike.”
\n<\/a>Tenmile Environmental Trail<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Interpretive Guide<\/a>\u00a0 1.1 mile loop<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The 2.5 million acres of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests contain mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, ancient cedar groves, and an abundance of wildlife.\u00a0 From NationalForests.org<\/a>: “The Idaho Panhandle National Forests are an aggregation of the Coeur d’Alene and portions of the Kaniksu and St. Joe National Forests. There are eight local points of contact including the Supervisor’s Office, six district offices and the Coeur d’Alene Tree Nursery.”\u00a0 The Forests extend into eastern Washington and western Montana.\u00a0 Supervisor’s Office phone 208-765-7223.\u00a0 See their\u00a0website<\/a> for District Rangers’ phones.\u00a0 Publications<\/a>
\n<\/span>Pulaski Tunnel Trail<\/a> \u00a0The forest service says that the first 725 feet of trail are accessible to visitors with disabilities.
\n<\/a>Hobo Cedar Grove Trail<\/a>\u00a0 From the website: “The trail has a gentle gradient making it accessible to older persons or those with moderate physical impairments. The trail width is about 40 inches. An occasional log bench provides seating along the trail.”
\nHiawatha Rail Trail<\/a> is not listed in the Rails-to-Trails site, but I have seen references to wheelchair use. \u00a0Call 208-744-1301. \u00a0 Here is some more information from the Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Trails<\/a>. \u00a0You can also give the Forest Service a call at\u00a0(208) 765-7223.
\n<\/a>Mineral Point Trail<\/a> is 2.1 miles one way and described as \u00a0“….one of the most beautiful trails on the Sandpoint Ranger District and is popular with hikers and mountain bikers. Gentle grades, wildflowers and excellent views make this trail suitable for the entire family.”
\nSam Owen Trail<\/a> is “wheelchair moderate, hiker easy……The first \u00bd mile of this trail has a hardened surface that is suitable for wheel chairs and strollers. The hardened trail ends at a beautiful vista of Owens Bay and the benches offer a nice place to sit and enjoy the view. The remaining \u00bd mile of trail is native surface, narrow and not suitable for wheel chairs or strollers…..This is a great hike for a family with small children.\u00a0”<\/p>\n
\n“There are 2 \u00bd miles of nature trails in the Refuge’s Wildlife Viewing Area. The trails meander through meadows and river bottom woodlands along the Bitterroot River. The refuge is along the Glacial Lake Missoula National Geologic Trail and along two National Historic Trails – the Lewis and Clark Trail and the Nez Pierce Trail. ”
\nHere is the Refuge website.\u00a0 \u00a0Description from OhRanger!\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Phone 406-777-5552
\nThe 2 \u00bd miles of nature trails in the Refuge’s Wildlife Viewing Area are described as easy and flat.
\n<\/a>\u00a0 Kenai Nature Trail<\/a> 1.25 mile\u00a0 the first 0.5 is mile paved and wheelchair-accessible.
\nWildfowl Lane<\/a> is a Ravalli County road that travels almost 3 miles through the southern half of the refuge.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
\n<\/strong>Lolo National Forest in west central\u00a0Montana is two million acres of diverse ecosystems ranging from wet, western redcedar bottoms to high alpine peaks, and forests of alpine larch and whitebark pine.\u00a0 There are five ranger districtrs and two visitor centers.
\nLinks to Day Hikes<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Here is the Forest website<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0Phone\u00a0\u00a0406-329-3750
\nPage with links to brochures.<\/a>
\n<\/a>Maclay Flat Nature Trail<\/a>\u00a0 has accessible 1.25 and 1.8 \u00a0mile loops. \u00a0There are “nature trails, parking, restrooms, river access, and interpretive signs. Benches are available along the trail. The parking lot is paved and the path is gravelled. In the spring, the Bitterroot River sometimes overflows and temporarily submerges portions of the trail.” Description in Missoula Trails\u00a0Guide<\/a>.
\n<\/a>Rattlesnake Main Trail #515<\/a>\u00a0is an “old logging road so it is wide, has a relatively gentle grade for the first 9 miles, and roughly parallels Rattlesnake Creek. \u00a0…..\u00a0The main trail winds through open ground, dry forested areas, and progresses into western larch and Engelmann spruce farther up the drainage. \u00a0…\u00a0Beaver dams can often be seen in Rattlesnake Creek about 5 miles up from trailhead.”\u00a0There are accessible restrooms at the trailhead. \u00a0Description in Missoula Trails Guide<\/a>.
\n<\/a>Sawmill Trail #24.0<\/a>\u00a0 1.3 miles. The trail “starts out on a wide path (old road bed) in open ground at the edge of the meadow where it is level and gentle. The trail grade then increases as it travels through the forest. ”
\n<\/a>Blue Mountain Nature Trail<\/a> is a 0.25 mile interpretive loop. ”\u00a0You can learn about prescribed fire, Glacial Lake Missoula, forest “recycling,” Montana’s state tree, and about lichen, kinnikinnick, nine-bark, serviceberry and many other plants. …..Midway down the trail, you’ll come upon a rock outcrop where there’s a vista of distant mountains, the Missoula Valley and the Bitterroot River winding toward its confluence with the Clark Fork. There is wheelchair access from the trailhead to this viewing area.”<\/p>\n
\nYellowstone National Park overlies the huge Yellowstone Caldera.\u00a0 The Park\u2019s diversity and natural wealth include hydrothermal features such as colorful hot springs, mudpots, and geysers.\u00a0 There is abundant wildlife, vegetation, lakes, and the Yellowstone River with its canyon and falls.\u00a0 “In Yellowstone, the interplay between volcanic, hydrothermal, and glacial processes, and the distribution of flora and fauna are intricate.”
\nThe park is in both Wyoming and Montana, so I am posting in both states.<\/p>\n
\nThe Accessibility Guide is very thorough so I\u00a0am posting just a bit about some of the accessible places in Yellowstone.
\n“Manual wheelchairs can be rented at medical clinics for $10 per day with a credit card (or $300 cash) deposit. \u00a0Wheelchairs are available for loan at each lodging facility, except Roosevelt Lodge, and the Old Faithful, Canyon, and Albright (Mammoth) visitors centers while in those areas.”
\nThe use of Segways is somewhat limited. \u00a0Check ahead.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a> Mammoth Hot Springs. \u00a0 There are accessible boardwalk from which you can view the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces.
\n<\/a>Norris Geyser Basin and Area. \u00a0There are boardwalks here, but you may need assistance. \u00a0The lower section of the Artists Paintpots is wheelchair accessible.
\n<\/a>Old Faithful. \u00a0There are accessible paved trails and boardwalks\u00a0going to Old Faithful Geyser, Geyser Hill, and Castle Geyser<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>West Thumb Geyser Area. \u00a0You may require some assistance on these boardwalks, which are by Yellowstone Lake.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>Fishing Bridge Area. \u00a0There is an accessible trail to the Mud Volcano, 6 miles north of Fishing Bridge.<\/p>\n<\/a>Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. \u00a0There are a number of accessible trails to overlooks. \u00a0See the map in the Accessibility Guide.<\/p>\n<\/a>State<\/h2>\n
\nLone Pine State Park near Kalispell over looks the Flathead Valley.\u00a0 “On a clear day, you can see Flathead Lake, Big Mountain, the Jewel Basin and Glacier National Park.”
\nHere is the Park website<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0 Phone 406-755-2706.\u00a0\u00a0Trail Map<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/a>Lone Pine Overlook Trail as described by TravelMT.com<\/a>: a 0.3 mile self-guided loop.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Freezeout Lake<\/a>\u00a0 The site claims\u00a0a trail, but their brochure and bird list<\/a> shows none.<\/p>\n<\/a>Ninepipe Reservoir<\/a> has an interpretive trail. \u00a0Call 406-644-2510 for information.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
\n<\/strong>Spring Meadow Lake State Park, on the western edge of Helena, is “an\u00a0urban day-use park and is a\u00a0popular spot for family afternoons of swimming, sunbathing,\u00a0fishing, birdwatching,\u00a0and having fun. ”
\nHere is the Park website<\/a>.\u00a0 Phone:406-449-5109 (summer)\u00a0 or the office: 406-495-3270.\u00a0 Trail Map<\/a>
\n<\/a>The Spring Meadow Lake State Park trail goes around the lake and has a fishing pier. TrailLink<\/a> describes it as 2 miles, but the Park map and website say 0.8 mile!<\/p>\n<\/a>Local<\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>Two Moon Park<\/a> “Two Moon Park (Yellowstone County) contains several narrow, gravel-surfaced trails that wind through stands of cottonwoods above and beside the storied Yellowstone River. The trails – Roche Jeune, Dull Knife, Mallard and Weeping Wall – can be linked together in various ways to come up with a number of do-it-yourself of loops and out-and-backs.” ….”At the Two Moon Park entrance you can jump onto the paved Dutcher Trail ,….\u00a0which from there winds down to the Yellowstone then upstream to Coulson Park.”
\n<\/a>Swords Park Trail<\/a>\u00a0is 3.8 miles and described by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy as wheelchair accessible.
\n<\/a>Norm Schoenthal Island Trail<\/a>\u00a0 1.9 miles. \u00a0Reviewers on AllTrails.com<\/a>\u00a0describe it as easy, and full of off-leash dogs and mosquitos. \u00a0Best to go early in the morning.<\/p>\n
\nParks and Recreation<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/a>Ulrich\/Schotte Nature Trail<\/a> “is a paved two-mile trail along wetlands, pond and a restored creek. The trail follows Blacktail Creek near Interstate 90, from the Visitors Center on George Street. The ….\u00a0creek has willowed banks populated with ducks, geese and other birds”
\n<\/a>According to the Montana Disability and Health Program website<\/a>, there are 22 miles of “paved, handicapped accessible trails [that] wrap through and around the city of Butte.” \u00a0It doesn’t say to what degree any of these go into natural areas.<\/p>\n
\nGreenough Park
\nGreenough Park Trail is a 0.8 mile loop described on TrailLink<\/a> as “one of urban Missoula’s best”.
\n“…. Rattlesnake Creek\u00a0….\u00a0courses through the park’s center. Cottonwoods and conifers are thick throughout, as are willows and other woody and herbaceous plants. It’s a great place for bird-watching” \u00a0“Several dirt paths wind through the trees and along Rattlesnake Creek”
\nKim Williams Nature Trail 4.2 miles from TrailLink<\/a>: \u00a0the trail \u00a0“…meanders alongside the Clark Fork River in downtown Missoula. It connects to the Riverfront Trail, giving users an uninterrupted 4 miles of trail from which to enjoy the river or access Missoula’s neighborhoods, commercials areas, parks, and the university.”
\nRiverfront Trail<\/a> 3.5 miles “follows an abandoned right-of-way along the old Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroad, commonly known as the Milwaukee Road.”<\/p>\n<\/a>Private<\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>?<\/strong>\u00a0The Teller Trail<\/a> goes\u00a0\u00a0“…. along the banks of the Bitterroot River ……. Moose, deer, mountain lion and over 145 species of birds have called Teller home. The approximate mile long trail loop\u00a0can be used for hiking, bird watching and fishing the Bitterroot River.” \u00a0From Montana Birding &\u00a0Nature Trail<\/a>: \u00a0“Walking quietly along the one-mile private nature trail through riverside cottonwood and ponderosas, you may spot all three species of nuthatches – white-breasted, red-breasted and pygmy. Note tracks in the mud of muskrat, beaver, red foxes and even otters, and the shrill piping of spotted sandpipers along gravel bars. Great blue herons fly by in spring from a nearby rookery.”<\/p>\n<\/a>Miscellaneous<\/h2>\n
Headwaters Trail System
\n<\/a><\/strong>From the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: This is a “paved network of trails that runs along the former Milwaukee Railroad bed through the town of Three Forks to the Missouri Headwaters State Park. Future plans include extending the trail to Manhattan, Mont., and other parts of Gallatin Valley. \u00a0The scenic trail provides views of the surrounding mountains and grasslands, winds around ponds and through old growth cottonwood trees, and ends on the banks of the Jefferson River. “ <\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/a>River’s Edge Trail<\/a> \u00a0 <\/strong>From Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks:\u00a0“This 25-mile trail around Great Falls is a collaborative effort between several agencies, counties, and the city of Great Falls. The trail offers 11 miles of paved surface and is ADA accessible. The Rivers Edge Trail connects several parks including Giant Springs State Park and other points of interest along the Missouri River including Black Eagle Falls, Rainbow Falls, Crooked Falls, and Great Falls of the Missouri just below Ryan Dam.”<\/p>\n