By LINDA McCARTHY
One of the best things about living in Missoula, Montana is the access you have to the wild open spaces and recreation places throughout the region. There is an abundance of lakes, rivers, mountains, trails, campgrounds and wild lands enjoy throughout all four seasons of the year. Outdoor recreation is typically the No. 1 draw for folks who choose to live in Missoula.
After being away from Western Montana for a few months, our family has spent a lot of time reconnecting with our homeland through activities that bring us great satisfaction and joy:
- Floating the Clark Fork River
- Flyfishing on the Missouri River
- Flyfishing on Rock Creek
Hiking and biking Mount Sentinel- Biking Pattee Canyon
- Hiking Waterworks Hill
- Running on Stone Mountain
- Running on Blue Mountain
- Camping on Flathead Lake
- Hiking and fishing on the Rocky Mountain Front
- Camping on Holland Lake
- Hiking to Holland Falls
- Swimming at Canyon Reservoir
- Paddle boarding, tubing, swimming and waterskiing on Lake Pend Oreille (ID)
- Biking Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort (ID)
- Boating on Lake Coeur d’Alene (ID)
Many of these places are right here in town; the rest are less than four hours away in a car. Some of the activities we do alone; others with friends and family. We feel truly blessed to have access and connectivity to the wild lands of our country. It’s why we choose to live in the heart of the Rocky Mountain West.
For more ideas on the ways to enjoy the great outdoors in Missoula and western Montana, check out our sections on Outdoor Recreation and Explore It/Day Trips from Missoula.
(CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE AND USE ARROWS TO SCROLL THROUGH ALL IMAGES)
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Linda McCarthy has been a Missoula resident for more than 25 years and serves as Executive Director of the Missoula Downtown Association, a private non-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to promoting, supporting and enhancing the vitality of Downtown Missoula. She and her family live in the Farviews Neighborhood, and her husband, Tom Gallagher, is a computer science professor at UM’s Missoula College. Linda holds two degrees from The University of Montana and was the 2008 Montana Alumni of the Year.
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