Sometimes, you just have to have patience.
This summer, Five Valleys, Republic Services, Inc., and the City of Missoula expanded the trails network in the North Hills. While the trails may be new, the vision has been 15 years in the making.
In 2010, Five Valleys partnered with Allied Waste, the company that formerly owned the Missoula landfill, to place a conservation easement across 300 acres of their land in the heart of the North Hills, north of Interstate 90. The project protected the land for wildlife, agricultural soils, and scenic views. But that wasn’t all. Allied Waste asked that the easement include a public trail corridor, should a public access connection to the property be identified. Yet, at the time, no public access connections existed. So, the partners waited.
Years passed. Allied Waste became Republic Services, Inc. Then, in 2019, Five Valleys protected the 124-acre Bluebird Preserve directly to the west. Later that year, Five Valleys transferred the Bluebird Preserve to the City of Missoula, who began building trails. The Bluebird Preserve’s 2+ miles of trail opened in 2023. With public access to the Republic Services easement now in place, the time was ripe.
“Good things are worth the wait. This community outcome has been 15 years in the making, which stands as a testament to strong partnerships, the support of the Missoula community, and the important landscape of the North Hills,” said Whitney Schwab, Executive Director of Five Valleys Land Trust.
The process to refine the trails plan began almost two years ago. Now complete, the property’s conservation easement will continue to be co-managed by Five Valleys Land Trust and Republic Services. The City of Missoula will manage the public trails system, which offers community members an additional 2.5 miles of scenic grassland trails.
"This project is a great example of how public funding delivers real benefits for residents,” says Jeff Gicklhorn, Parks and Recreation Conservation Lands Superintendent. “The voter-approved 2006 Open Space Bond helped purchase the Conservation Easement, and the 2018 Conservation and Stewardship Mill Levy funded the staff and expertise to design, build, and maintain high-quality trails. When voters support these measures, we can deliver better recreation opportunities for all Missoulians.”
The new trails encircle the Missoula Landfill property, meandering through grassland hills and draws while offering outstanding views of the Missoula Valley (view trails map). The property provides essential wildlife habitat, so trail users are required to stay on designated trails, and to support elk and other wildlife, these trails will close seasonally.
“Through this strong partnership, we are providing a new, nature-filled experience that will be enjoyed by the community for years to come, while also conserving this important land,” said Republic Services General Manager Catherine Bernhardt. “This project exemplifies how our shared commitment to sustainability can help protect the environment and the communities we serve.”
While the new trails will expand public access from the Bluebird Preserve, they will not connect to the Moon-Randolph Homestead or the Waterworks trails to the east. The generosity of private landowners is what made this project possible: please do your part and respect private property boundaries. For more information and maps, please visit www.missoulaparks.org.
Please join Five Valleys and our partners for a public ribbon cutting for the new trails on the Republic Services-Five Valleys Land Trust Conservation Easement property. The celebration will be held at the Bluebird Preserve Trailhead, at 5650 Grant Creek Rd (map).
Questions? Please contact Lena Viall, Conservation and Communications Manager, at 406-549-0755 or at lena@fvlt.org.
Header photo by Paul Lebel
