Missoula’s North Hills Get New Hiking Trails This Summer

A new set of public trails is opening in Missoula’s North Hills before the summer ends. Five Valleys Land Trust, Republic Services, and the City of Missoula have partnered to expand access to open space just north of Interstate 90. The project will connect to the existing Bluebird Preserve trail system and provide several miles of new paths through grasslands and scenic overlooks.  

Trail Opening Celebration in Missoula

A public ribbon cutting for the new trails will be at 8:30 a.m. at the City's Bluebird Preserve Trailhead, 5650 Grant Creek Road, on Thursday, Aug. 21. 

The new trails have been more than fifteen years in the making. In 2010, Five Valleys worked with Allied Waste, now Republic Services, to place a conservation easement on 300 acres north of Missoula. The agreement protected wildlife habitat, agricultural soils, and open views, while also including a corridor for a possible future public trail.  

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That possibility became more realistic in 2019, when Five Valleys conserved the 124-acre Bluebird Preserve to the west. The land was transferred to the City of Missoula, which began creating trails. By 2023, more than two miles of new trails had opened there.  

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With public access now in place, planning for the Republic Services easement began two years ago. The new trails will form a loop around the property and link directly to the Bluebird Preserve. Five Valleys will continue to steward the land, while the City of Missoula will maintain the trail system. 

Seasonal Closures to Protect Wildlife

To protect wintering elk, the trails will close seasonally. The trails will not connect with the Moon-Randolph Homestead or Waterworks trail systems, but they will expand opportunities for hiking in the North Hills. Five Valleys and its partners encourage the public to enjoy the new trails later this year while respecting surrounding private property.