The Grove
Location: ///neat.post.pumps for trailhead or ///posts.dare.kings for JFK parking
Surface: level, nearly flat pathway. Former road.
Distance: 2.2 miles (3.5km). This a figure eight measurement
Rise: Negligible rise
Services: paved parking, restrooms, playground equipment, pool
Trailhead info: Trailhead for the The Grove is a short distance away from the main JFK park
Be aware: Will likely be icy in the winter and muddy in the spring.
Maintenance: Unknown
Best months for use: May – October (or later depending upon snowfall)
Add-ons: exisiting trails in JFK park are somewhat accessible.
Beginning in JFK Park, In East Helena, look for the newest weathered granite path and follow it towards the creek. In short order you will come across the post pictured above, that will direct you to the actual trail that is The Grove.
From the parking lot in JFK Park, this trail goes a bit longer than two miles (3.2k) as a single loop and 2.2 miles (3.5k) as a figure eight. The reach along the Prickly Pear Creek is going to be alive with birds in the sping and summer months, and the field has thousands of sunflowers gently blowing in the breeze. For a patch of remediated industrial land, this area is quite nice.
Ice-damming has flooded a bit of the trail along the creek at the time of this writing (December 28, 2023), but this sort of thing will get figured out. This is a terrific addition to the accessible trail inventory in the area. When we walked it on a recent sunny afternoon, there were about a dozen other folks out enjoying nature.
Our great thanks to all who made this a reality.
We really like the way this park has made the gate fully accessible to non-motorized, wheeled folks while still deterring unauthorized vehicles. Authorized vehicles can use the locked gate for entry.
Seeing as we have a decent number of random, large rocks in the area, we believe that Helena Parks and Rec could do this same sort of set up at the East and West Le Grande trailheads to make that former roadway more accessible to folks with limited mobility. Everyone belongs in nature.
The walk along the Prickly Pear Creek is quite nice. The name ‘the grove’ seems to refer to the cottonwoods along the creek.
Considering cottonwood riparian areas are the most productive bird habitat in Montana, it is wonderful to see this property being both protected and promoted as a low impact recreational area.
Montana eBird shows that 98 species of birds have been recorded in the area- we expect that number to rise with increased trail use.