Welcome to A Trail Runs Through It

Construction of the Trail Runs Through It Project has begun! Work will focus on the Beaver Lake/Skyles portion of the trail in May.

Forestoration and Rod Devall starting construction on the Goguen property - click for larger sample:

The backcountry trail will travel through forested lands in the areas of Spencer Lake, Skyles Lake, Lion Mountain, Beaver Lake, Stillwater and Swift Creek, with the goal of looping through state, federal and private lands, extending dozens of miles around Whitefish Lake.

Get involved in the trail project:

• Volunteer! There will be multiple ways for volunteers to get involved. Send us a note if you want to be notified of volunteer opportunities.
• Donate! Your contribution will help us achieve our ambitious goal. With your help, we can make the most of the private funds donated by local landowner Mike Goguen.
  
  Please show your support by making your tax-deductible check payable to Flathead Gateway Partners and send it to:
  
  
  TRTI
  c/o Flathead Gateway Partners
  PO Box 1895
  Whitefish, MT 59937
  
  
  

The Trail Runs Through It Steering Committee is a public-private partnership led by the City of Whitefish and Flathead Gateway Partners. Other partners in the project include the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), the United States Forest Service (USFS), and private landowners.

The City of Whitefish, the non-profit Flathead Gateway Partners, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), the United States Forest Service (USFS), and private landowners are working cooperatively on the first two sections of trail currently being prepped for construction.

The proposed recreational loop trail will traverse state, federal and private lands, extending dozens of miles. Both the "Trail Runs Through It" project and the proposed Goguen land exchange, implement strategies outlined in the Whitefish School Trust Neighborhood Plan and the Trail Runs Through It Master Plan, the first large-scale, collaborative land use plans prepared for school trust lands in the State of Montana.

Part of the Trail Runs Through It system - click for larger sample:

Imagine... a recreational loop trail that encompasses Whitefish Lake traversing forest service and private lands while connecting state land in the region, including the areas of Spencer Lake, Skyles Lake, Lion Mountain, Beaver Lake, Stillwater and Swift Creek. The natural surface trail will also connect with the paved bike and pedestrian "Fish Trails" on Highway 93 West and Big Mountain Road, completing the loop.

Such a trail is what the City of Whitefish and Flathead Gateway Partners in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), the United States Forest Service (USFS) and private landowners, have set out to accomplish with the support and guidance of the community. The City and Flathead Gateway Partners have created a public-private partnership to implement the project and facilitate public involvement. This public-private partnership has initiated fundraising efforts to develop the trail and conserve surrounding forest lands for recreational access, watershed protection and wildlife habitat. In support of the dual purposes of the project (trail development and land conservation), Whitefish landowner, Mike Goguen, has committed to jumpstart the project with a $3 million donation. He also has offered to construct segments of the trail through the public and private lands associated with the proposed land exchange.