Category Archives: State parks

A wildflower celebration and more western Montana hikes

A few western Montana wildflower-related events taking place in May escaped my attention in an earlier post:

This Saturday, May 11, Lone Pine State Park near Kalispell will join National Wildflower Week celebrations. Games and crafts are at 1 p.m., a hike is at 1:30 p.m. and a wildflower costume contest with prizes is at 2:30 p.m. The event also serves as the start of the park’s May and June wildflower walks, Saturdays at 11 a.m. The event is free.
The Montana chapter of the Sierra Club also has a few outings in May, starting this Saturday, May 11. At 8 a.m., a women-only hike will take place around Lake Como near Darby. The group will stop for lunch at the falls at the head of the lake. The hike is 7 1/2 miles with minimal elevation gain. Register by contacting trip leader Janet Fiero at (406) 203-2164 or janetfiero77@gmail.com by 4 p.m. Friday, May 10.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 15, the Sierra Club will hike to the top of Mount Sentinel, looping via the Hellgate Canyon and “M” trails. Distance is 6 1/2 miles with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. Register by Tuesday, May 14, by emailing Mary Owens at trekker320@aol.com.
And on Monday, May 20, the Sierra Club will hike the North Loop Trail at Mount Jumbo at 9 a.m. The 5-mile trip will gain about 800 feet of elevation. Register by 4 p.m. Sunday, May 19, by emailing Maria Ibarbia at maire-mt@earthlink.net.

A day of service for western Montana trails

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National Trails Day is Saturday, June 2, and there are several opportunities in western Montana to get out and lend a hand.

While most projects occur on National Trails Day, a couple of them are planned for later in the month.

As a reward for your service, some events include a barbecue afterward!

The following are western Montana events – click through for times and more detailed information, or follow the link above for events in other parts of the state.

REI, Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership and the Montana Conservation Corps will pull weeds and perform basic maintenance along the “M” Trail on Mount Sentinel.
The Back Country Horsemen of Missoula will have a “Leave No Trace” demonstration camp; handouts on trail use; bicycle/equestrian helmets for sale; water, snacks and dog treats for the public; and will paint a fence and clean up the main trailhead at the Blue Mountain Recreation Area. The group will also conduct a survey of trail users.
At the Milltown State Park site, Montana State Parks will plant native shrubs and trees along a trail to the bluff overlook and a Boy Scout troop will install park benches made from salvaged logs.
The Ninemile Ranger District will hold the Ninemile Family Fun Run – with 1K and 2K events – at Grand Menard Picnic Area near the Ninemile Ranger Station. The U.S. Forest Service; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; and the Montana Natural History Center will also provide educational activities.
The Montana Conservation Corps will work on several trails at Herron Park in Kalispell.
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation will perform seasonal work on the trail to Stanton Lake near Hungry Horse.
On Saturday, June 9, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness will hold a workshop on old-growth ecology in Heron and go on an afternoon hike.
On Saturday, June 30, the Scotchman Peaks Friends group will have workshop on wetlands and riparian areas in Heron and go on an afternoon hike.

Wildflower events bloom late for May

I’m late with my roundup of wildflower-related events this month, but there’s still plenty going on:

On Saturday, May 12, Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell will hold events in honor of National Wildflower Week, May 7-13. A hike for the whole family will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. followed by a wildflower craft, and an adult hike will take place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Call (406) 755-2706.

The Montana Native Plant Society has several events this month:

The Clark Fork Chapter will hold a Dyer’s Woad Pull at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, on Mount Sentinel. The two-hour pull will help control the noxious weeds and restore native grasses. Meet at the Mount Sentinel trailhead at bring rain gear, just in case. Call 544-7189. A second weed pull is planned for Tuesday, May 29, at the same time and location.

Also, a wildflower walk is planned for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, in the Rattlesnake Recreation Area’s Spring Gulch. Annie Garde and Madeline Mazurski will lead the easy hike, which leaves from the main Rattlesnake trailhead. Call 258-5439.

The annual Montana Native Plant Society Plant Sale will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 26, at the Missoula Farmers Market, at the north end of Higgins Avenue. More than 50 species of native plants will be available.

On Tuesdays in May, The Native Plant Society’s Flathead Chapter will hold wildflower walks along Bigfork’s “Wild Mile” corridor. Anne Morley and Neal Brown will lead the two-mile outings along the Old Swan River Road from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet in front of Showthyme. Contact Morley, (406) 886-2242, or Brown, (406) 837-5018.

The Flathead Chapter will give a presentation titled “Beautify Your Yard With Native Plants: Tips, Tricks and Inexpensive Ways to Add Native Plants to Your Landscape” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 16. Laura Law will discuss how she transformed her Columbia Falls yard from lawn to a series of small gardens incorporating native plants. There will be a slideshow and tour of Law’s garden.

On Thursday, May 31, Morley will also lead a two-mile guided naturalist hike on the Sprunger-Whitney Nature Trail starting at 10 a.m. Meet at the trailhead. Drive about seven miles south of the Swan Lake Trading Post in Swan Lake on Montana Highway 83, turning west at the Point Pleasant and Sprunger-Whitney signs one-half mile south of mile marker 64. Follow the signs to the trailhead. Call (406) 886-2242.

The Montana Chapter of the Sierra Club will lead a couple of hikes in May:

A women-only outing is planned for Saturday, May 19, on the trails that loop around Lake Como, south of Hamilton. The hike is 7 1/2 miles with minimal elevation gain and a stop for lunch at the falls. Email Janet Fiero at janetfiero77@gmail.com to sign up.

A loop hike on the Stuart Peak Trail and Wallman Trail in the Rattlesnake Recreation Area will take place Wednesday, May 23. It’s eight miles with 500 feet of elevation gain. Email Mary Owens at mowens320@gmail.com to sign up.

The Montana Natural History Center is offering a “Native Wildflower ID Crash Course” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 24, at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Gardens. There is a $5 suggested donation; MNHC members are free.

And the Swan Ecosystem Center will lead a walk to Holland Falls, above Holland Lake, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 27. It’s part of the Loon and Fish Festival in the Seeley Lake area.