Open Lands & Trails

Update (9/12/25): 

The Queen City Fuel Reduction project (110 acres on Mount Helena) and the Backdrop Fuel Reduction project (150 acres on Mt. Ascension) are complete.

Original Post (7/31/25): Beginning Aug. 4, the City of Helena will initiate an extensive two-month long fuel reduction project in the City’s natural parks. Hand crews will thin forested areas located in the in the western portion of Mount Helena City Park and then move on to the north face of Mount Ascension Natural Park.  Trees designated with a blue flag affixed to their trunk will be pruned to a height of 6-8 feet to increase base canopy height.  Crews will reduce tree crown densities by felling trees occurring within pink-flagged treatment units that are not designated with a blue flag.  Felled trees are segmented and assembled into slash piles for eventual burn disposal. 

Tree thinning activities will begin next week at the Tubbs Trailhead. To maintain public safety, the City will temporarily close portions of Ambrose, Road-To-Mars, Diretissima and Prairie Trails. Please refer to the attached map indicating areas of forestry activities and which trail segments are subject to closure during the Mount Helena phase of this project. Information related to the Mount Ascension treatment plan is set to release ahead of that phase.

This project is made possible through a Hazardous Fuels Reduction Grant administered by the Montana Department of Nature Resources and funded through the U.S. Forest Service.

Click to view the Queen City Fuels Project Trail Closures Map - Mt. Helena(JPG, 1MB)   

Check out recent updates from the City of Helena Open Lands team:

Helena’s Open Lands Division had an incredibly productive work season that culminated with a strong finish as Helena’s beautiful fall weather ended.  Following are some of the key accomplishments in the July through December Period:

Forestry

Starting August 1, contract crews worked nearly non-stop to complete 260 acres of tree felling, tree pruning, and cut-waste material piling within Helena’s Mount Helena and Mt Ascension Natural Parks by September 12. It was the largest single season tree thinning accomplishment in the history of Helena’s open lands system forest fuels program. To top it off, Helena’s open lands staff thinned, chipped and removed a significant quantity of forest fuel material from the 6-acre Oakes Street Park parcel. A portion of the forest slash from the Oakes Street project was combined with similar material derived from other City of Helena properties and delivered to the Saddle Drive work center. For the 16^th consecutive year, volunteers from Narrate Church split and distributed Helena Open Lands firewood, with this year’s event aiding 28 families that heat their residences with wood stoves.

City of Helena Open Lands Trail Construction (August–November 2026)

Between August and November 2026, two new trails were constructed on City of Helena Open Lands. Additional work was also completed on the Upper Bike Skills Area to address safety concerns and trail sustainability.

• Hoppiness – New Connector Trail

Length: 2,800 ft
Cost: $14,000 (funded by Blackfoot River Brewing & Ales for Trails)
Builder: Phat Tracks
Design: City of Helena Staff

Hoppiness is a purpose-built connector directly linking the Entertainment Trail to the Mount Ascension Loop Trail. The goal of this new trail was to increase connectivity to under-utilized areas of Mount Ascension and create new recreational opportunities.  The Hoppiness Trail was a community sponsored project presented during the 2024 Open Lands Open House.

Key Benefits:

• Creates an excellent loop from the Arrowroot parking area using Entertainment, 2006, and Ascension Loop.
• Improves access to the Cruse Control and Big Dorothy’s Trails for users approaching from Arrowroot TH and Entertainment Ridge
• Provides a gentler grade between the 2006–Easy Rider junction and the Entertainment Woods area.

• Upper Sourdough Starter – Roger Fuchs Connector (New Trail)

  Length: 1,100 ft
  Builder: City of Helena Open Lands Trail Crew

  Trail was constructed to replace an unsanctioned social trail descending from Roger Fuchs to Dry Gulch Road near the intersections of Davis Road and Tucker Gulch. The former social trail presented significant safety concerns due to its steep, eroded tread and blind merge onto the roadway.

  The new trail incorporates two switchbacks and three alternate lines designed to divert higher-speed mountain bikers away from blind corners and reduce user conflicts. This alignment greatly improves safety and sustainability while maintaining access to the Rodney Ridge area.

• Upper Bike Skills Area Improvements
  Length: ~100 ft

To eliminate a safety hazard involving a user-created blind “jump” into the Deford UA Trail, city staff reworked the end of the Upper Bike Skills Area. Improvements included rerouting and shaping to discourage unsafe lines. These updates appear to be largely successful; however, additional fencing may be necessary as use increases, and the tread becomes more defined.

• Lower Bike Skills Area – Mulch Jump Project

Construction began on a new mulch jump feature in the Lower Bike Skills Area. This feature is intended to provide a safer, more controlled learning environment for riders developing jumping techniques.

Trailhead Wayfinding Maps

For several decades the City of Helena relied on outside resources to produce and edit trailhead wayfinding maps. Unfortunately, periodic trailhead wayfinding, map updates and replacements were cumbersome and untimely. For this reason, City staff developed a City of Helena, Parks Department open lands wayfinding map layer specific to each of the city’s natural parks.  The new map layer can be corrected/revised/updated as needed. Helena’s Open Lands staff will be installing new trailhead maps in the coming weeks. 

Fencing & Gates

• Constructed approximately 878 feet of new post-and-pole fencing on steep, rocky terrain to reduce trespass issues occurring on an adjacent, privately owned parcel.
• Installed a large metal gate at the eastern entrance of the eastern LeGrande Cannon Road closure to provide safer public access and facilitate winter plowing.
• Installed a large metal gate at the Donaldson Barn to secure the Open Lands Divisions Work Center.

Barbwire Removal

• Removed four truckloads of barbed wire from the Whytes Addition, Dump Gulch, and Meatloaf Hill areas.

Rotary Club Bike Repair Station Donation

• One bike repair station installed at the DeFord Trailhead Parking Area.
• One bike repair station installed at the Old Shooting Range Parking Area

If you're interested in hosting an event or commercial activity on the City's Open Lands, there is an application process.  The City will consider requests for races, fundraiser runs, guided tours or hikes, please contact the Parks/Open Lands Administrative Office at 406-447-8463.

*IMPORTANT* These data are NOT the official records and may be inaccurate and incomplete. Original and official copies of deeds, surveys, plats and ownership information are available at the Lewis & Clarke County Clerk and Recorder office. By using this GIS information, the user acknowledges and accepts fully responsibility for verifying the correctness and the completeness of any of the information provided here. The City of Helena and Lewis & Clarke County do not warrant, either explicit or implied, the completeness or accuracy of the information provided. Additionally, the city and county accept no liability of any kind, including but not limited to any losses or damages that may result from the wrongful reliance on this information, and the user also accepts full responsibility for any subsequent use of reuse of the data, and shall be solely responsible for results or any damages which may result from the use of any of these data. This map does not necessarily depict road ownership or maintenance, wither public or private. Nor, does it necessarily depict all roadways in the county. The data shown on this map were derived from various sources at different scales for a variety of purposes, and there is great variability in the spatial accuracy of the different data sets. Therefore, there may be some mis-alignment between data sets and layers.

• Hunting, firing a bow, or firing a gun is prohibited on city open lands. Archery is allowed only at Davis Gulch archery range. To use the facility requires a membership to the local archery association.
• Camp fires or any open fires are prohibited on city open lands.
• Camping is prohibited on any parks unless written permission is given by the Open Lands Manager.
• Dogs must be kept on leash within 100 yards of the trailhead and are expected to remain on leashes at trailheads. Dogs on trails must be either kept on a leash or within site and under voice control. These precautions are to prevent unwanted interactions between people, other dogs and wildlife. To report problems with dogs please call Animal Control at the police non-emergency number (406)442-3233 or if it is an emergency call 911. We also ask that you pick up and dispose of all dog waste.
• Gathering firewood is prohibited unless authorized by the Open Lands Manager. The city donates some of the downed materials from our fuel reduction projects as firewood for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP). This is coordinated with volunteers to split and transport the cut wood to LIEAP, who then disperses the material to those who qualify for the program.
• Horseback riding is prohibited on city property. With the variety of public lands in the area it is important to know the boundaries between city and state or federal ground.
• In order to keep the open lands pristine for wildlife and for continued recreational use, we must pick up after ourselves. If everyone properly disposes of their waste, we can achieve that goal. We follow the motto- Pack it in, Pack it out.
• The use of motor vehicles such as ATVs, 4-wheelers, trucks and motorcycles is prohibited on open lands unless authorized. Authorized use would be for an open land maintenance related project. All other motor vehicle use would require approval by the Open Lands Manager.

Helena Open Lands Management Plan 2004(PDF, 13MB)

Chapter 7 Rewrite of the Helena Open Lands Management Plan 2004(PDF, 859KB)

Helena Open Lands Management Plan 2004 - Appendices(PDF, 48MB)

2021 Maintenance Work Plan(PDF, 8MB)

Chapter 7 Open Lands Management Plan(PDF, 859KB)

Helena Open Lands Public Involvement Process for Recreation(PDF, 415KB)

• 2026 Proposed Major Projects(PDF, 23MB)
• 2025 Proposed Major Projects(PDF, 11MB)
• 2021 Proposed Major Projects(PDF, 1MB)
• Combined Trails Projects 2020-20201 Initial Review(PDF, 3MB)