Overview

Greenough Park, located in the heart of Missoula, lies under a mixed canopy of cottonwoods, ponderosa pines, and young maple trees. The songs of over 100 different birds are here to greet you as you enjoy the one-mile trail loop.

This 42-acre city park, runs along the rushing Rattlesnake Creek. Donated in 1902, by the Greenough Family, Greenough Park was to be “forever maintained in its natural state.” As such, the park has evolved into a birding paradise.

The Bolle Birdwatching trail is complete with interpretive signs focusing on the 100 most frequently sighted birds. Enjoy a shady picnic under the dense canopy, take a leisurely stroll along the trail, or sit and observe the many birds that now call Greenough Park home.

Location/Information

Greenough Park is a natural habitat set in an urban setting. Found in Missoula, western Montana, this urban park is extremely accessible, just minutes from downtown.

To access Greenough Park from I-90 west take the Van Buren Avenue exit, and take a right, take a left on Locust, and then turn right on Monroe. There will be a sign for Greenough Park.

The park is open from 6am to 11pm.  For more information on Greenough Park contact the Missoula Parks & Recreation Department.

Missoula Parks & Recreation
100 Hickory Street
Missoula, MT 59801
406-721-7275
parksrec@ci.missoula.mt.us

Activities

Greenough Park is the perfect spot for relaxing. The one-mile trail won't leave you feeling exhausted but it will allow you a bit of peace and calm away from the city. Greenough is the an excellent place for a picnic lunch.

Hiking/Biking
The one-mile trail will weave you through the park, capped on each end by bridges that cross Rattlesnake Creek. This gives you a great view of the fast-moving water and a chance to spot the American dipper as it bobs up and down on the rocks.

There are other unofficial trails that sneak through the park, but these are for pedestrian use only, no bikes please.

Bird Watching
For quality birdwatching often times you must find a remote and quiet spot far from the noises of a loud city. Not true in Greenough Park.

The Bolle Birdwatching Trail is excellent. This interpretive trail comes complete with signs that will help you identify some of the 100 plus birds that live in Greenough Park and describe why they choose their particular habitats.

Fun Facts

Near the entrance you will find a century-old, stone bear cage. This octagonal cage is a spacious 15 feet across in the inside.

The history of the bear cage is vague, but historians believe it was part of an attempt to build a zoo in Greenough Park back in the early 1900's. Whatever it's history, it's still here, and still a bit out of place.