| Outodoor Recreation |
Whether your passion is skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, camping, bicycling, boating, fishing, hunting, golfing, swimming or just enjoying a sunny day at a city park, Helena has plenty of reasons to go outside and play. If you're a camper, check out our complete Helena campground guide.
If you love watersports, you'll thank the heavens for the reservoirs of the Mighty Missouri. Holter and Hauser Lakes are destinations for camping, fishing, swimming, wind surfing, water-skiing and boating. Canyon Ferry Lake, the largest dam reservoir, is just 20 minutes east of Helena. Warmer months bring camping, sailing, boating, swimming and fishing; during the Winter, it's a popular spot for ice sailing. But wait, we still have another lake. Bird watchers, runners, hikers, fishermen, swimmers and boaters can all enjoy Spring Meadow Lake, open year-round just a few miles west of downtown.
If you're thinking all this water means great fishing, you've made a brilliant deduction. Wet your line on countless lakes and streams as you chase common species such as rainbow, brook, brown, bull, yellowstone cutthroat and westslope cutthroat trout. (Brown and rainbow trout are the most sought-after game fish, though Helena also boasts one of the largest populations of genetically pure westslope cutthroat trout.) And fishing doesn't have to stop when the snow starts: try ice fishing for perch.
Golfers can tee off at two scenic public courses: Bill Roberts Municipal Golf Course (406) 442-2191 and Fox Ridge (406) 227-8304. Helena also offers the beautiful Green Meadow Country Club at (406) 442-1420.
Hikers will love nearby Blackfoot Meadows and Continental Divide Trail, which offers views of surrounding scenic beauty—along with moose, elk, black bears, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. A few miles north of town, the 1.5-million-acre Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, with 1,800 miles of hiking trails, stretches all the way to Glacier National Park. Visit http://www.visitmt.com/falcon.
Travel back in time via horse-drawn wagons to Montana’s largest tipi with Last Chance Ranch Wagonride Dinners. Enjoy our all you can eat prime rib dinner complete with huckleberry cheesecake and cowboy coffee. Singing, cowboy poetry and a musical Lewis and Clark tribute by Montana cowboy singer, Bruce Anfinson, top off this memorable evening. Located nine miles out of Helena, with transportation provided. Seating capacity is 50 and reservations are required. Great for group tours, company parties, out of state visitors and reunions June through September. (406)-442-2884 or 800-505-2884. Visit http://www.lastchanceranch.biz.
Winter may be the best time of all to venture into our great outdoors. For starters, there are three major snowmobile trail systems within a 30-minute drive of Helena. The Marysville area has 45 miles of groomed trails. The Minnehaha-Rimini area (just 10 miles from Helena) features 120 miles of groomed trails. Finally, the Magpie-Sunshine area, northeast of Helena, has 45 miles of groomed trails and spectacular views of the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness. Meanwhile, downhill skiers will revel in Great Divide Mountain, just 20 miles away. Great Divide offers more than 60 runs, half of them for the advanced skier. (406) 449-3746. Visit http://www.greatdividemontana.com. Last but not least, cross-country skiers can enjoy many different trails in the Helena area, including four groomed loop trails at MacDonald Pass and Stemple Pass.
