Work underway to build trail system near Bigfork

Construction has begun on a new community trail system just behind downtown Bigfork.

The Bigfork Harrell Forest Trails project, which at its completion will consist of 4.5 miles of single track trail alongside an existing two track road system, is expected to wrap up in September. The Flathead Land Trust, who owns the property, is spearheading the effort alongside other conservation groups.

“Our purpose is conservation, but recreation plays a big part in that as those two goals stand side by side,” said Paul Travis, executive director of the trust. “It allows us to serve the community in a much more direct way by creating this trail system for the public to use and enjoy.”

The trail, accessible when finished via Bigfork Stage Road, will be open to the public for hiking and biking. No motorized vehicles will be allowed on the trail system — including electronic bikes. Owing to its relatively small acreage, the system is unable to accommodate horses.

The goal, according to Travis, is to make the trail system as accessible as possible. DREAM Adaptive Recreation pre-tested some of the trails with three-wheeled adaptive mountain bikes and plans to hold individual lessons and group rides as well. The trails are not open to public use until construction finishes in the fall.

The parcel of land has a rich history with multiple owners. The first move toward conservation occurred in the early 2000s when Jack Whitney and his wife Ursula — who had the land at the time — placed a conservation easement on the southern portion of the property.

The effort to build the trail system started a few years later when Alan Horn and Cindy Harrell-Horn donated the 236-acre parcel of land to the Trust for Public Land, a national organization dedicated to preserving land for public use, with the intention of providing community benefit and public access. The Trust for Public Land reached out to the Flathead Land Trust after the donation, and the groups partnered together to work on the land.

In December of last year, the Flathead Land Trust became the sole owner of the land — the group’s first time owning land long-term. Both the Flathead Land Trust and the Trust for Public Lands collaborated with the Montana Land Reliance to place a conservation easement on the rest of the property, effectively stopping development in perpetuity.

“When you can conserve the land and also let the public enjoy it, that's another step. It allows us to serve the community in a much more direct way,” Travis said.

Under the agreement, the parcel cannot be developed and the property will remain available for public use, education and recreation long into the future, according to Travis.

“Everything we do at the Trust for Public Land revolves around a very simple mission — connecting everyone to the outdoors,” said Lucas Cain, the Trust for Public Land’s project manager, in a statement. “The Harrell Forest project has it all. Not only does it provide close-to-home recreation and education opportunities for Bigfork residents, but it protects the open space viewshed of the highly scenic Swan Hill. This is a win-win for everyone involved.”

The project has an advisory committee consisting of multiple community members and representatives from Forestoration, a firm that specializes in the planning, design and management of outdoor spaces, the Montana Access Project, Trust for Public Land, Montana Land Reliance and Flathead Land Trust in an effort to center the project around community wants and needs, according to Travis.

“It takes a village,” said Jennifer Guse, the communications, outreach and special projects coordinator for the Flathead Land Trust.

Funding for the project also took a village, she said. In spring 2022, the partners received two major grants through the Montana Recreational Trails Program and the Montana Trail Stewardship Grant Program. The land trust also raised $40,000 from donors through Whitefish Community Foundation’s Great Fish Community Challenge last summer.

The trails will be easily accessible from downtown Bigfork and there will be a parking area on the west side of the property, bordering Bigfork Stage Road, Travis said.

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.