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) is advancing recreation planning at Fish Creek State Park as part of the broader Fish Creek Recreation Strategy, finalized in September 2024. The Strategy established long-term guidance for managing recreation across state-managed lands in the Fish Creek drainage and identified the need for additional, site-specific planning to evaluate recreation opportunities and resource protection measures in greater detail. One of those next steps is focused trail planning within the Fish Creek Complex.
To carry this work forward, 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 effort, 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 and geographic connections. The Collaborative was tasked with developing recommendations for a sustainable, site-level trail plan within the Fish Creek Complex.
The FCC serves in an advisory role. Its recommendations will 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.
Once the FCC finalizes its recommendations, FWP will release them for a public comment period prior to the department’s internal review. Notice of the comment opportunity will be shared on this webpage, through the FWP Public Notices webpage, and in the FWP Public Comment Opportunities Newsletter. Please monitor this website for further updates on when the recommendations will be released for public comment.
For complete background, planning documents, and a detailed timeline of the Fish Creek Recreation Strategy and FCC process, visit the Fish Creek Recreation Planning page.
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.
Restrictions and Closures
See a current list of Restrictions and Closures on State Parks and other FWP lands that may be affected by floods, fire, drought or major maintenance activities.
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
