There are a decent number of other free or extremely low-cost outdoor activities in and around Helena.
Montana WILD Free Events
Most months of the year, Montana WILD staff put free events on for folks who are interested. These events range from learning about bats (and listening for them using super cool equipement), to family archery, to storytime and more.
In addition to the great programming, ambassador birds from the adjacent wildlife rehabilition center that cannot be released to the wild are often displayed by volunteers who can answer questions about the species and the individual birds.
Pictured at left is Kila, the Ambassador Western Screech Owl. Montana WILD is part of the educational program of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and it is a terrific resource to help people learn facts about Montana’s wildlife.
Folf, Frolf, or Disc Golf
There are a couple of folf courses in the greater Helena area. The Scratchgravel course is a bit untamed, but thoroughly enjoyable. The course on the south east edge of town is more manicured, but still enjoyably rough around the edges.
Skateboarding
Located at Centennial Park, the Skatepark in Helena is decently large- over 15,000 square feet. It features two large bowls, lots of banks and ledges. There are quarterpipe corners, ledges, rails, and benches. This park is free and open to the public. It has no formal website. An additional benefit is tht the grafitti is sometimes quite good. While the signage indicates that bikes and scooters are not allowed, they are there rather often and everyone seems to get along. Jeff Ament, of Pearl Jam, helped fund this and 26 other skate parks in Montana. He is quoted as saying,”You are teaching kids to get up when they fall” and “if you are in an isolated, rural area, or you come from a broken home, you are going to fall down a lot”. Thanks, for investing in Montana’s youth and outdoor scene, Jeff!
Vigilante Bike Park
Located at Centennial Park, the bike park is located on the nother side of the park adjacent to the Centennial Trail and the Dog Park. Established on the 20th anniversary of National Public Lands Day, this park is free, open to the public, and gives bikers nearly 4 acres to pracitce their skills.
Rock Climbing on Mount Helena
Located about a mile up the 1906 Trail, the trail passes close to the foot of the cliffs. Once you locate this sign, you’ve found the climbing area main wall.
Ice Skating
Helena can have rather cold weather for six months every year. So, to help get folks outdoors, Helena Parks and Rec floods three different locales to allow folks to iceskate when the weather cooperates. The mainrink is located at Memorial Park. There are two much smaller rinks located at Lincoln and Cunningham Parks. There are lots of ice rink events during the winter and the rinks can be followed on Insta by looking for @HelenaParksRecreation.
Memorial Park charges a small fee to use the ice (this is the only outdoor activity on this site that has a charge). If you are a Helena resident, the cost is $2 for kids and seniors, and $2.50 for adults and 0-3 year-olds are free. If you are visiting, the cost is $3 for kids and seniors, and $3.50 for adults and 0-3 year-olds are free. The upside is that the entrance fees allow the city to purchase and maintain skates- so the skate “rental” is free.
Nordic Skiing
In town-
Helena Parks and Rec, in partnership with Last Chance Nordic Ski Club, groom about 4k of trails at Bill Roberts Golf Course. Access to the golf course for skiing is free and open to the public. Snowshoeing and dog walking also occurs at Bill Roberts, and folks who enjoy these activities are asked to, please avoid the groomed trails.
Out-of-town-
The folks at the Last Chance Nordic Ski Club also maintain about 14k of trails along the Continental Divide Trail starting at MacDonald Pass just west of Helena. The Mac Pass trails are also wonderful to walk in the spring and summer. The combination of elevation and water make the trails a great place to find Glacier Lilys and lots of other flowers. Birds and butterflies also abound in the spring and summer.
Stemple Pass offers another 20+km of Nordic ski trails along the Continetal Divide.
The Last Chance Gulch Walking Mall
Perhaps people watching is your cup of tea. Helena has you covered. The Last Chance walking mall is a great place to grab a bite to eat, look for new gear, engage in conversation over drinks, or just enjoy some history, eclectic architecture, and public art. The walking mall overlays the course of Last Chance Creek and there is a water feature with interpretive signage to help folks learn about how Helena went from rough-shod mining camp to Montana’s capital city.