Good Places For A Winter Nature Walk

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Spotting and identifying wild animal’s tracks on a winter nature walk can be as much fun as seeing the animal itself. In fact, a creature’s tracks may tell a whole story about were it came from, where it is going and why.

Some Montana State Parks and Fishing Access Sites, and U.S. Forest Service campgrounds or picnic areas make good places for winter nature walks. Detailed descriptions and directions to FWP managed sites are available online at fwp.mt.gov on the Parks and Recreation page.

Montana’s Fishing Access Guide is also available online and at FWP regional offices. It describes 306 FAS site on the states’ streams, rivers, and lakes that vary in size from less than one acre to several hundred acres.

Allan Kuser, FWP’s Fishing Access Site coordinator, offers below his handpicked list of FAS locations across Montana that offer opportunities for winter nature walks and wildlife tracking.

FWP Region 1    Kalisp ell Area

·          Thompson Chain of Lakes   at 3,000 acres

·           Island Lake at 35 isolated acres

·           Kokanee Bend along the Flathead River at 135 acres

·           Swan River in a remote area of the Swan Valley

 

Region 2    Missoula Area

·           Junction at 130 acres

·           Harpers Lake at 100 acres

·           Harry Morgan at 65 acres

·           Monture Creek at 112 acres

·           Clark Fork Drainage

·           Kelly Island on the edge of Missoula at 666 acres

·           Erskin at 426 acres

 

Region 3    Bozeman Area

·           Cameron Bridge on the Gallatin River at 152 acres

·           Cobblestone on the Madison at 190 acres

·           Greycliff   on the Madison at 551 acres

·           Fairweather on the Missouri River at 719 acres

·           Poindexter Slough on the Beaverhead River at 408 acres

 

Region 4    Great Falls Area

·           Pishkun and Willow Creek Reservoirs along the Rocky Mountain Front at over 1500 acres each

·           Ulm Bridge on the Missouri River at 163 acres.  

·           Dunes and Pelican Point on the Missouri River at 61 and 93 acres respectively.

 

Region 5    Billings Area

·           Bratten on the Yellowstone River at 93 acres

·           Captain Clark on the Yellowstone River at 148 acres

·           Pelican on the Yellowstone at 121 acres

·           Selkirk on the Mussellshell River at 265 acres

·           Cliff Swallow on the Stillwater River at 160 acres

 

Region 6     Glasgow Area

·           Bearpaw Lake near Havre at 185 acres

·           Cole Ponds up on the highline at 139 acres

·           Fort Peck Dredge Cuts at 122 acres

 

Region 7    Miles City Area

·           Black Bridge on the Yellowstone on the outskirts of Sidney at 81 acres

·           Diamond Willow on the Yellowstone with riparian habitat at 80 acres

·           South Sandstone (reservoir) near Plevna at 599 acres

·           Bonfield on the Yellowstone River at 56 acres