Beginning in 2022, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) initiated a comprehensive recreation planning effort to guide management of recreational use on FWP-managed lands in the Fish Creek Watershed. The area is home to important fish and wildlife habitat, historic and cultural resources, local communities and private landowners, and unique opportunities for outdoor recreation.
This planning effort resulted in the Fish Creek Recreation Strategy, released in September 2024, which establishes long-term guidance for recreation management for state-managed lands in the Fish Creek drainage. FWP is now advancing implementation of that strategy through site-specific planning efforts, including the Fish Creek Collaborative (FCC) trail planning process.
Location
Located approximately 40 miles west of Missoula and 25 miles east of Superior, FWP's key Fish Creek sites include Fish Creek State Park, Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Big Pine Fishing Access Site (FAS), and Forks FAS. The Alberton Gorge, which offers opportunities for water access and recreation, is also located in the area. The area also includes other state and federal public lands.
Integrated Planning Approach
The Fish Creek planning effort was an interdisciplinary, holistic approach to consider recreation interests and fish, wildlife, historic, and cultural resources at FWP-managed lands throughout the watershed, including the area’s fishing access sites, the Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area, and Fish Creek State Park. As part of promoting a coordinated, seamless recreation experience on a multi-jurisdictional landscape, FWP worked closely with the Montana Department of Natural Resources (DNRC) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) in this planning process. While USFS lands are not included in this planning process, USFS managed lands border the planning area.
2024 Fish Creek Recreation Strategy
In 2022, FWP initiated recreation planning for the state-managed lands Fish Creek drainage in response to increasing recreation use and demand, a growing need for coordinated management across multiple jurisdictions, and rising concerns about natural and cultural resource impacts.
The Fish Creek Recreation Strategy, finalized in September 2024, provides guidance for managing recreation and protecting resources across the Fish Creek Complex. The Strategy summarizes public and stakeholder input, identifies recreation management needs and opportunities, and establishes a framework to guide future planning and decision-making.
Importantly, the Strategy is not a site-specific design or construction plan. It does not itself authorize on-the-ground projects. Instead, it identifies where additional analysis, design, and environmental review would be required before specific actions could move forward.
Download the Fish Creek Final Recreation Strategy (PDF)
Following completion of the Recreation Strategy, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) began advancing next steps identified in the Strategy, including additional site-specific planning needed to more closely evaluate recreation opportunities and resource protection measures.
One of those next steps was focused trail planning within the Fish Creek Complex. In response, FWP launched a planning effort to explore the feasibility of a thoughtfully designed, multi-use trail system at Fish Creek State Park and surrounding public lands. The goal of this effort is to enhance recreational access for a variety of users—including hikers, bikers, and off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders—while protecting natural resources and ensuring a high-quality visitor experience.
To guide this work, FWP formed the Fish Creek Collaborative (FCC), a citizen advisory group composed of local residents, recreationists, and stakeholders. Members were selected through an application process in summer 2025 to reflect a diversity of recreation perspectives, experiences, and geographic connections. The Collaborative is tasked with providing input on trail development, management, and conservation priorities across the Fish Creek Complex, and with working collaboratively to develop recommendations for a sustainable, site-level trail plan.
The FCC serves in an advisory role. Its recommendations are intended to inform FWP’s consideration of future actions and do not constitute final approval of any projects. Any on-the-ground implementation would require additional planning, funding decisions, and environmental review before moving forward.
Trails Workshops
Two facilitated trail planning workshops were held as part of the FCC process:
Both meetings were open to the public, with options to attend in person or virtually. Workshops focused on facilitated working sessions among FCC members to discuss tradeoffs, explore options, and work toward consensus on recommendations.
How the public can follow and comment
Members of the public may watch recordings of the FCC trail workshops using the links above.
Once the FCC finalizes its recommendations, FWP will release them for a public comment period to ensure transparency and invite additional community input prior to the department’s internal review. Notice of the comment opportunity will be shared through FWP’s Public Comment Newsletter and website.
During the public comment period, residents, recreation groups, and partner organizations may review the recommendations, share support or concerns, and identify considerations that may not have emerged during the collaborative process. All comments received will be reviewed and summarized by FWP and used to help inform the agency’s internal review and determination of next steps.
FWP expects to receive finalized recommendations from the FCC facilitator around the New Year. Please monitor this webpage for updates on when the public comment period will open.
Fish Creek Collaborative Members
Advisory Team Members
The timeline below documents the full progression of recreation planning in the Fish Creek Watershed, from early engagement and strategy development to current implementation through the Fish Creek Collaborative.
2022 — Recreation strategy planning initiated and early outreach conducted
FWP initiated recreation planning for the Fish Creek Watershed to better understand recreation demand, identify management challenges, and gather early input from stakeholders and the public.
Stakeholder meetings held on July 28 and August 17, 2022, to identify recreation management issues and priorities.
View 7/28/22 stakeholder meeting summary (PDF)
View 8/17/22 stakeholder meeting summary (PDF)
Field trip conducted on September 28, 2022, to share on-the-ground context and inform planning discussions.
View 9/28/22 field trip summary (PDF)
Public survey conducted October–December 2022 (675+ responses) to better understand recreation interests, concerns, and desired experiences in the Fish Creek area.
View public survey (PDF).
2023 — Public meeting and continued refinement
FWP hosted a public meeting to provide an overview of the Fish Creek recreation planning effort, share proposed strategies for managing recreational use on FWP-managed lands, collect public feedback, and outline next steps.
View 2023 Fish Creek public meeting summary (PDF)
2024 — Recreation Strategy finalized
FWP convened a series of targeted stakeholder meetings to review and refine the draft Recreation Strategy and address specific recreation activities in the Fish Creek area.
Early 2025 – Implementation of Recreation Strategy begins
Following completion of the Fish Creek Watershed Recreation Strategy, FWP began advancing implementation actions identified through the Strategy, including focused trail planning within the Fish Creek Complex.
Spring 2025 — Fish Creek Collaborative application period
FWP released an open call for applications to serve on the Fish Creek Collaborative (FCC). Applicants were invited to share their recreation interests, familiarity with the Fish Creek Complex, and interest in collaborative participation. FCC members were selected to reflect a diversity of recreation perspectives, experiences, and geographic connections.
Fall 2025 — Site visit and facilitated workshops
FCC members participated in a site visit to better understand existing conditions, recreational uses, opportunities, and constraints within the Fish Creek Complex. The Collaborative then convened for two facilitated, in-person workshops led by the external facilitator.
During these sessions, FCC members shared perspectives, discussed tradeoffs, and worked collaboratively to develop site-level trail recommendations. FWP staff participated as technical resources, providing information and context as needed. Both meetings were open to the public, through a virtual option with opportunity to attend in person. Each workshop was focused on facilitating working sessions between FCC members as they worked through details of the trail planning process to seek consensus on recommendations.
Trails Workshop Dates:
December 2025 — Development of FCC recommendations
Themes, areas of agreement, and draft recommendations emerging from the workshops were documented and refined with support from the facilitator. The FCC’s advisory role concluded following completion of the recommendation package.
January 2026 — Preparation of FCC recommendations for public release
FWP reviewed FCC’s recommendation package and supporting materials. Staff prepared explanatory materials, including this webpage and associated FAQs, to provide context and transparency for the broader public.
Next Steps in 2026
For more information, contact:
Cody Kenyon, Recreation Manager, Montana FWP
406-542-5533
ckenyon@mt.gov