From the lookout atop Williams Peak to the crystal-clear emerald pools of Fish Creek, this state park is full of wildlife, beautiful scenery and places to explore.
Fish Creek State Park covers more than 5,600 acres, making it the largest state park in western Montana. The park is part of a larger state-owned public land complex, covering more than 45,000 acres, that is managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). The campgrounds at Big Pine and Forks Fishing Access Sites, and day use sites on the Alberton Gorge, as well as the Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area are managed by FWP divisions. A much larger tract of public land exists in the neighboring national forest.
Shaped by decades of logging, the forest landscape of the park offers dramatic views of the industrial past and its recovering present. Although closed to the public, an historic fire tower, sits atop Williams Peak, offering an expansive view of the park and the surrounding Bitterroot mountain range and the Great Burn proposed wilderness. The 1910 Great Burn is the largest fire in regional history and burned three million acres in northwestern Montana, Idaho, Washington, in less than three days.
Fish Creek is a stronghold for Montana’s native trout, including bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout, and wild populations of rainbows and browns. Fish Creek State Park also supports a variety of habitats for wildlife including an estimated 47 mammal, 113 bird, three amphibian, and four reptile species. Some notable mammal species include moose, elk, black bear, mountain lions, and wolves.
The park offers a variety of recreation opportunities within a secluded and quiet environment. Open year round, activities include fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, horseback riding, OHV, and snowmobiling on open roads. The park offers access to Fish Creek in multiple locations and is home to the confluence of the creek and the Clark Fork River in the Alberton Gorge, known for its first-rate whitewater rafting. Fish Creek State Park has a network of old logging roads, including a 70-mile series of “open” roads, that allow motorized use, and “closed” roads, that are available for hiking and nonmotorized use.
Fish Creek State Park, and neighboring public lands, offers a memorable rustic, natural experience. Fish Creek State is located conveniently off Interstate 90, about 41 miles west of Missoula, making it easily accessible to residents and travelers.
Fish Creek Collaborative Trail Planning Effort
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) has launched a planning effort for a thoughtfully designed, multi-use trail system at Fish Creek State Park and the surrounding public lands. The goal of this process 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 effort, FWP formed the Fish Creek Collaborative (FCC), a citizen advisory group composed of local residents, recreationists, and stakeholders. These members were selected through an application process in summer 2025. The Collaborative is tasked with providing input on trail development, management, and conservation priorities across the Fish Creek Complex and with building consensus on recommendations for a sustainable site-level trail plan.
Upcoming FCC Meetings
Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025 and Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025
FWP Region 2 Office (3201 Spurgin Rd.), Missoula
Both meetings will be open to the public, through a virtual option with opportunity to attend in person. Each workshop will focus on facilitated working sessions between FCC members as they work through details of the trail planning process and seek consensus on recommendations.
How the public can follow and comment
Members of the public can watch live or recorded sessions online, and written comment submissions will be accepted on this webpage after each FCC meeting. Written comments received after the first meeting will be reviewed, summarized into key themes, and shared with FCC members before the second meeting to help inform their discussions. There will be additional public comment opportunities when FWP publishes the FCC’s recommendations, and again during the MEPA (Montana Environmental Policy Act) process.
Fish Creek Collaborative Members
- Ben Deeble - Missoula, MT
- Hayley Newman - Missoula, MT
- Jane Whetzel - Alberton, MT
- Jerry Hatcher - St Regis, MT
- Jim Merifield - Missoula, MT
- John Kittelson - Missoula, MT
- John Stegmaier - Missoula, MT
- Ken Brown - Missoula, MT
- Paige Boyer - Stevensville, MT
- Sharon Sweeney - Huson, MT
Advisory Panel Members
- Amy Helena and Sierra Farmer, DNRC Representatives
- Christopher Gauger and Laura Johnson, USFS Representatives
- Denley Loge, State Legislature Representative
- Jody Loomis, State Parks and Recreation Board Representative
- Willy Peck, County Representative
Fish Creek Watershed Recreation Planning
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is building on previous planning efforts to create an updated, comprehensive roadmap for managing recreational use in the Fish Creek Watershed. The Fish Creek area is home to important fish and wildlife habit, historic and cultural resources, local communities and private landowners, and unique opportunities for outdoor recreation. This will all be part of what the planning process and final planning document considers. Learn More
Some amenities are seasonal. Check with the park for availability.
Hours listed below are normal operating hours and may not apply when there is a special restriction or closure. Check Alerts and Closures in the tab below.
Park
Open daily all year
Contact the park manager for open volunteer positions at Fish Creek State Park.
For complete position descriptions, application forms, and details about Montana State Parks volunteer programs, visit the Volunteers page.
Mailing Address:
Fish Creek State Park
c/o FWP Region 2 Headquarters
3201 Spurgin Rd
Missoula, MT 59804
Phone: (406) 542-5533
Email: ckenyon@mt.gov
