NORTHWEST MONTANA // Area Intro & Highlights

Pine-covered peaks plunge down to river valleys. Lakes large and small emerge unexpectedly around bends in the road. Tucked in a corner between Idaho and Canada, northwest Montana is brimming with natural beauty, from the snow-capped peaks along the Continental Divide to the fish-filled waters of Lake Koocanusa. It’s both a remote, rugged place of hardy individuals and a network of growing communities where small-town values still hold true.

The histories of these towns are rooted in logging, mining, and the railroad, and their futures are diverse and bright as they incorporate new ideas—and new faces—into their 21st century economies. Northwest Montanans still haul logs, but they also work in health care; they’re train dispatchers and technology entrepreneurs. No matter the job title, they’re united by their work ethic, adaptability, and their love of this special corner of the globe.

NORTHWEST MONTANA

EUREKA

COLUMBIA FALLS

KALISPELL

Pine-covered peaks plunge down to river valleys

Trading in the Trains

Kalispell’s Parkline Trail

To everything there is a season. Even railroad tracks. The Great Northern Railway first put Kalispell on the map when it drove the final spike into its new line in 1892. Now, almost 130 years later, those rail tracks are coming up as the city evolves once again, transforming the historic downtown line into the Kalispell Parkline Trail, a pedestrian and bike-friendly thoroughfare through the heart of town. The city’s rail-dependent businesses have already relocated to the newly constructed Glacier Rail Park on the northeastern edge of the city, freeing up trailside lots for redevelopment.

The new trail will connect to Woodland Park on the east end and link up with the existing Great Northern Rails to Trails trail system on the west end, providing longdistance exercise options that stretch from Kila to Somers. Along the Parkline Trail itself, the city envisions 21st century mixed-use development framing the tree-lined path, as well as a summer splash pad for kids (and the kid in all of us). Bikers and walkers can easily hop from the trail to Main Street and back, opening up shopping and dining options for residents and visitors alike. As this forwardthinking vision becomes reality, there is no wrong side of the tracks in downtown Kalispell’s future.

Bad Rock, Great Opportunity

A Once-in-a-Generation Conservation Project

What has 772 acres of critical wildlife habitat, one mile of the Flathead River, and needs you? Okay, it’s not much of a riddle, but it is an amazing opportunity. The Bad Rock Canyon Conservation Project is a time-sensitive undertaking to protect a section of wetland and forest just outside of Columbia Falls on the east side of the Flathead River, currently owned by the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company.

Hidden in plain view, this land has a warm spring, a primitive hike and bike trail, and could be a prime location for housing development. However, this space is also an important connector between the Whitefish and Swan Mountains for wide-ranging carnivores, such as bears, mountain lions, and wolverines. It provides winter habitat for an elk herd and moose and is also a landing place for migratory birds, who can count on the warm spring if surrounding creeks and lakes are still frozen. Preserving this land will give future generations the opportunity to enjoy the wildlife and open spaces that make Montana special. The project is in its final fundraising push to secure matching funds for federal and state grants before the end of 2021. For more information, visit www.flatheadlandtrust.org.