Area Feature • Missoula

Situated at the meeting point of the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers, Missoula has a history that is steeped in the outdoors. Around 13,000 years ago, the entire valley sat at the bottom of Glacial Lake Missoula, archaeological artifacts date the earlies inhabitants of the Missoula Valley to 12,000 years ago with settlements as early as 2500 BCE. From the 1700s until the 1850s the land was primarily home to the Salish, Kootenai, Pend d’Oreillle, Blackfeet and Shoshone tribes. Settlement by people of European descent began around 1850s with the arrival of trading posts and the Northern Pacific Highway in 1883. Often considered the culturalhub on Montana, Missoula is the location of the state’s first university and is now home to an eclectic mix of professionals, hippies, college students, loggers and retirees. While the second most populous city in Montana, Missoula has been able to keep its small community feel. With a thriving downtown area home to a number of locally owned restaurants and shops, a robust nightlife including the historic Wilma Theater a nationally known live music venue, and Caras Park featuring the cities only carousel, an outdoor event venue and a man-made river wave for river surfing. Missoula is made up of a patchwork of unique neighborhoods including University District which is home to college students and stately historic homes, the Rattlesnake which backs to the Rattlesnake Wilderness and has Rattlesnake Creek running through the middle (their favorite neighbors are the black bears that are frequent back yard visitors) and Target Range which features large rural lots with horse and cow pastures sprinkled in. The cultural and economic make up of Missoula is diverse and there is a home for everyone in this welcoming community.