Is it more enjoyable to hike, ride, or run on trail you helped build? We think so! Find out for yourself by volunteering to finish the House of Sky Trail on Mount Dean Stone in celebration of National Trails Day! We look forward to opening the trail to the public once the work is done, so bring your friends and get ready to enjoy the views.
This workday, hosted by Five Valleys, Run Wild Missoula, MTB Missoula, Montana Trail Crew, and City of Missoula Parks & Recreation will celebrate our public lands and help to lay the route for this new 4.6-mile trail along the Mount Dean Stone ridge. We will be hand-finishing trail, building fence, and completing other necessary work to get this trail open to the public.
We will meet at Skyline Ridge at the top of Deer Creek Road at 9:00am (directions below). If you're not sure where the Skyline Ridge trailhead is, or would like to carpool, we will have vehicles leaving the Lewis and Clark Park and Ride at 8:30am. We encourage carpooling for those who are comfortable with it, although there is parking at Skyline Ridge.
Directions if Driving: On some devices, Google Maps has been trying to route people through gated roads- make sure you continue driving past the Pattee Canyon Recreation Area parking lot, continuing onto the dirt road toward Deer Creek Road. About 1 mile after Pattee Canyon Drive turns to dirt, take a right at the switchback onto West Fork Deer Creek Road (#2127), and continue uphill about 3 miles to the top of the ridge. Click here for a Google Maps route to the meeting location.
What to Bring: Close-toed shoes (preferably boots), work clothes, gloves, and safety glasses or sunglasses (some of the digging is rocky and shards can fly), water, and lunch. We will have water available to refill bottles as needed, lunch from Notorious PIG, and post-work refreshments from Big Sky Brewing Co. Please leave your furry friends at home.
Timeline:
8:30am: If carpooling, meet at the Lewis and Clark Park and Ride.
9:00am: If driving, meet at Skyline Ridge on Deer Creek Road
10:00am -12:00pm Trail work on House of Sky
12:30pm: Lunch. Huge thanks to Notorious PIG and Big Sky Brewing Company!
1:00pm: Depart work site
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Header photo of National Public Lands Day 2019, photo by Geoff Sutton
