Recreation - Missoula City Parks
No matter where you live in Missoula, you’re within walking distance of one of the city’s many neighborhood parks and some of its more remote natural areas. For more information on Missoula’s park system, visit www.missoulaparks.org.
Park picnic shelters are available to reserve for family reunions, weddings and other celebrations. Shelter reservations require a fee and a cleaning/damage deposit.
The policy regarding alcohol in the parks is as follows: For groups of two or more, a $200 deposit will be required for a beer and wine permit. Alcohol use in McCormick, Caras and Kiwanis parks requires a $10 fee in addition to the $200 deposit. Alcohol is never allowed in Greenough Park, Jacobs Island, Clark Fork Natural Area, Kim Williams Trail, Westside Park, Gregory Park or any other park that does not have public restrooms.
Parks are open from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. daily. Dogs must be leashed in city parks and on trails, and owners must remove their pet’s waste.
Missoula’s 3,500 acres of conservation lands offer great hiking and biking opportunities right outside your back door. Trails on Mount Sentinel, Mount Jumbo, the North Hills, and many other open space areas throughout the city provide easy access to Missoula’s natural beauty. The Parks and Recreation Department can provide maps of trails for biking and walking throughout the area.
In addition, Missoula Parks and Recreation offers a variety of family programs to help you put some fun into your weekly routine. Here is a brief sample:
• Splash Montana, the outdoor water park at Playfair Park, 3001 Bancroft St., provides action-packed fun, full-service concessions and swim instruction for all ages Memorial Day through Labor Day. Currents, the indoor water park at McCormick Park, is open year-round and features fitness swimming and exercise classes, swim lessons, water slides, spray features, spa and party room. New splash decks are located in Bonner, Franklin, Westside and Marilyn parks.
• Missoula is also home to two magical playgrounds designed by Missoula kids and built by the community: Dragon Hollow playground at Caras Park and Project Playground at Westside Park.
• Missoula City Band concerts in Bonner Park are held throughout the summer starting mid-June until mid-August at 8 p.m. each Wednesday.
• Parks and Recreation sponsors summer youth sports programs such as baseball, soccer and basketball leagues and tennis lessons. In addition, summer camps are offered in neighborhood parks for ages 6-12, featuring a focus on the arts, environment, crafts and music, international sports, team-building and swimming. The Parks Department’s preschool program includes fitness and games for kids 3-6.
• Parks and Recreation also offers plenty of opportunity to stay in shape and unwind at the same time – with tennis lessons and leagues, volleyball, softball, soccer, basketball and family outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, rafting and rock climbing.
• The Bitterroot Branch Commuter Trail is a fully paved trail connecting downtown Missoula to the Southgate Mall area. It intersects the Ron MacDonald Riverfront Trail system at McCormick Park. Several parks have jogging trails: McCormick, Greenough, John H. Toole, Fort Missoula and Playfair.
• Kids Fest, a free children’s festival with games, live entertainment, crafts and vendors is held the first week of August at Caras Park. The Fall Family Fest is an annual children’s celebration held in late October at Fort Missoula. Parks and Recreation hosts the Frost Fever winter festival each year in February with snow flag football, broomball tournament, a fun run and more.
• Bonner Park, Missoula’s “All-Children’s Park,” has a specially designed play structure that is accessible to children with disabilities.
• Parks and Recreation has an extensive outdoor recreation program including the Adventure Challenge teams and ropes course, leadership and skills classes, outdoor adventure trips, plus therapeutic recreation for at-risk youth.
• For information on Parks and Recreation programs, call 721-PARK, or stop by Parks headquarters at Currents Aquatics Center in McCormick Park. The office publishes a free recreation guide in April, August and December which lists all programs, fees and schedules. It is available at the office, by mail or on the Web at www.missoulaparks.org.
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