Marshall Mountain Park

Updated Dec. 14, 2023: The County will be the long-term owner and manager of the Park while the City continues to provide recreation programming at Marshall Mountain Park; under this proposal, the County and City would share the operational costs of providing public access at the site.

If the area is publicly owned, an initial site cleanup will be required to ensure the safety of all users. There will be no immediate changes to current user access or policies. The development of future policies regarding users, management and permits will occur after the acquisition is completed in 2024.

The Marshall Mountain Park conceptual master plan provides a roadmap for the City of Missoula, Missoula County, and other partnering organizations to expand accessibility and programming opportunities at Marshall Mountain to meet the community's needs while conserving important natural resources onsite. Adoption of this plan does not mean that all aspects of the conceptual master plan would be implemented. The conceptual master plan will assist everyone in making informed decisions for investments in park experiences, facilities, conservation and programming.

The plan is flexible to accommodate phased implementation based on available funding. It will inform decisions about the park alongside grant requirements, regulations, infrastructure needs, program development, partnerships and funding availability. In addition, the plan showcases our community's dedication to protecting public access and preserving natural resources at Marshall Mountain. Once acquired, the City and County will make immediate improvements to open the park for public use, and we will explore additional enhancements through fundraising, partnerships, and grants.

The conceptual master plan is available for review and comment at engagemissoula.com, where the public can also find additional information on the community visioning process that informed the creation of the plan.

Visit the City of Missoula's Engage Missoula page for supporting documents and links.

• Located at the headwaters of Marshall Creek, adjacent to Lolo National Forest Land, this site has been a recreation site for over 100 years. In the mid-1920s, the area was made popular as a backcountry ski and winter recreation destination by the Montana Mountaineers. From the 1950s through 2002 it operated as a commercial ski area. The commercial ski area operated across the base area and mid-mountain parcels plus across approximately 100 acres of US Forest Service land through a special use permit.
• Marshall Mountain is a unique project that offers a variety of recreation opportunities (hiking, trail running, horseback riding, mountain biking, skiing), conservation, youth programming and community gathering.
• The project scope recently grew when The Conservation Fund acquired a privately owned parcel next to Marshall Mountain. Surrounded on three sides by Forest Service land, this parcel will provide additional, contiguous public access and greatly improve opportunities for recreation, natural resource management and riparian connectivity.
• Since 2002, several public/private collaborations evolved and failed to purchase the Base Area property for use as a community recreation area.
  • This sustained community interest in the public acquisition of Marshall Mountain, plus the designation of the area as an Open Space Cornerstone in the 2019 City/County Open Space Plan, supports the public acquisition of the property.
  • Additionally, the 2018 Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails county-wide survey found that 71% of households surveyed supported the public acquisition of the former ski area. In 2020, the City of Missoula made an effort to acquire the Base Area; however, the parties were unable to agree upon mutually satisfactory terms.
  • This acquisition follows years of public engagement and concern that the base area would be sold privately and closed to the public.

Visit the City of Missoula's Engage Missoula page to learn more about this project and find more documents, links and photos.

What is an open space bond? How does it work, and who oversees the money?

You can think of an open space bond as similar to a home equity loan. Open space bonds allow local governments to take on numerous projects over an extended period without knowing the exact cost of each project. Voters first approve a total amount of money, and then the government can draw from these funds over a certain period.

Bond money cannot be spent on services, expenses or initiatives outside of the language approved by the voters. Missoula County’s Open Lands Citizen Advisory Committee reviews applications and makes recommendations to the County Commission. The City's Open Space Advisory Committee reviews applications and makes recommendations to City Council.

Voters have approved a total of $25 million in countywide open space bonds ($15 million in 2018 and $10 million in 2006). These bonds were established to purchase lands, fund conservation easements or other legal interests in land, or make improvements to publicly accessible land that meet the following goals:

• conserving, enjoying and enhancing open space land, including public access;
• conserving agricultural lands, fish and wildlife habitat, and rivers, lakes and streams;
• protecting scenic views and making improvements to open space lands.

Bond money is finite. Once the entirety of the bond funding is spent, it will be removed from taxpayers’ bills. Both the 2006 and 2018 open space bonds have 20-year limits, which is required by state law.

The total amount of funds approved by voters can either be issued all at once so the cost to taxpayers is immediately shown on tax bills, or the funding can be issued periodically over a longer time, and will show up on a tax bill little by little. In Missoula County, open space bond funding is typically issued incrementally.

When a project is vetted and approved, cash from previously issued bonds is used to cover the cost. When the funding available for projects starts to run low, more funding is issued while remaining below the total amount approved by voters. Residents will continue to see this line item on their tax bill until the bond expires, even if no funding for specific projects is approved during that time.

What can it be spent on?

Open space bond funds can only be spent on land and certain improvements to land that meet the goals listed above. These funds cannot be used to pay for other services, programs or initiatives. It would be illegal and disingenuous to the voters for these funds to be used for anything other than purchasing land, funding conservation easements or other legal interests in land, or making improvements to land that is accessible to the public.

How does the County determine what projects should receive open space bond funding?

Both the County and the City have active citizen advisory committee that reviews applications for open space bond funding. Qualified conservation organizations, the County and City can submit applications. The County Open Lands Citizen (OLC) Advisory Committee is comprised of up to 13 members, with an emphasis on members who represent the eight planning regions outside the Missoula valley and represent farming, ranching and timber interests. The OLC meets monthly and has a strict review process for open space bond project applications, which includes site visits and public meetings. Then the OLC makes recommendations to the Missoula County Commission in favor or opposition of using open space bond funds. The commissioners have the final vote on spending the bond money.

What are some properties in the County that have been protected with open space bond money? How much money is left?

County open space projects include 28 sites comprising more than 11,000 total acres. Projects span in size from a 25-acre project at Traveler’s Rest in Lolo to more than 3,400 acres at Sunset Hill past Greenough. This map shows the many open space bond projects that have been funded with open space bond funds. These projects have occurred on private, public and mixed-ownership lands.

To date, $10.1 million has been spent of the $25 million total, leaving just less than $15 million left between the 2006 and 2018 Open Space Bonds.

How do the city and county share these funds?

The $25 million is split between the city and county through an interlocal agreement, with half prioritized for the Missoula Valley and administered by the City, and half prioritized for areas outside Missoula and administered by the County. Both agencies work closely with local and national conversation groups, as well as state agencies, to facilitate the process of land protection. These partnerships, and the willingness of private landowners, make the open space bond program a success.

Are all lands protected through the open space bond program open to the public?

Not necessarily. Many of the projects funded through open space bonds are conservation easements held by land trusts on private property to protect wildlife habitat, water quality and agricultural areas Many other open space projects, like Mount Jumbo and the Rock Creek Confluence Property owned by Five Valleys Land Trust, are open to the public.

Missoula County and the City of Missoula are pleased to announce that the conceptual master plan for Marshall Mountain Park is now available for public review on engagemissoula.com. A survey was open from May 19 through June 19 to accept public comment on this plan. This plan reflects years of community engagement, feedback, and listening sessions.

The Marshall Mountain Conceptual Master Plan is a visionary document that explores the potential development of the park and is based on feedback from the public. The Conceptual Master plan will help guide the future development of the park, but remains flexible to allow for phased implementation based on funding opportunities and partnerships.

The conceptual master plan outlines both long-term development opportunities and immediate improvements needed for safety and public access, including trailhead enhancements, a vault toilet, parking improvements, and ADA access. Future development will depend on securing outside funding and partnerships.

The plan is flexible to accommodate phased implementation based on available funding. It will inform decisions about the park alongside grant requirements, regulations, infrastructure needs, program development, partnerships, and funding availability. In addition, the plan showcases our community's dedication to protecting public access and preserving natural resources at Marshall Mountain. If acquired, the City and County will make immediate improvements to open the park for public use, and we will explore additional enhancements through fundraising, partnerships, and grants.

See more under Operations, Management and Future Park Development below.