Run Wild Missoula
Montana Trail Crew
As the sport of trail running grows, Run Wild Missoula hopes that Montana Trail Crew will continue to serve as a vehicle through which we can act as stewards of our local trails and a means to bind our state’s geographically sprawling trail running community. Montana Trail Crew operates a website that is the premier source of information and stories about Montana trail running people, places, and events; it organizes public lands stewardship projects, such as trail work days and hosts the annual Mountain Running Film Festival each fall in Missoula to build cohesion among Montana’s geographically sprawling trail running community.
Founded in August 2013 by a group of local trail runners, Montana Trail Crew became a part of Run Wild Missoula in January 2017. As an educational and conservation-based organization for mountain and trail runners, Montana Trail Crew is devoted to strengthening the Montana trail running community and advocating for the open space and wild lands where we run. As one of Montana Trail Crew’s founders explained in 2013, “On the surface, we understand as any trail runner does that we need open spaces and healthy wild lands to do what we do. We need to safeguard access to the trails that we use every day.”
Mountain Running Film Festival:
We are back for 2024 for the Mountain Running Film Festival at the Wilma on November 7! Check back for info soon.
Other Montana Trail Crew Resources:
Trail Stewardship Opportunities
Join us for a day of volunteer trail work on the Continental Divide Trail near Lincoln, Montana. Come to give back to our trail system or to earn volunteer hours to fulfill a race requirement. We’ll be clearing downed trees and brush encroaching on the trail. No prior trail maintenance experience necessary. All tools and training will be provided. Carpools will be arranged from Missoula.
This will be a full-day outing, with departure from Missoula at 8am, returning by 5pm, on Friday, May 17.
- Greet hikers and explain which routes are open or closed (the zig zag trail to the M will be closed).
- Plant native bunchgrasses onto the closed sections of trails. Training provided.
- MTB Missoula: Tons of one day opportunities to work on trails right here in Missoula alongside our mountain biking friends. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram feeds for these frequent opportunities.
- Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation: Multi-day, free volunteer trail crew trips in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness areas. More info here.
- Wild Montana: Multi-day, free volunteer trail crew trips around the state, plus a handful of one day trail stewardship opportunities June through September in the Bitterroot Valley. Email Mike Young for Bitterroot opportunities or check out the website.
- Great Burn Conservation Alliance: Multi-day, free volunteer trail crew trips in The Great Burn. You could also become a Heart Lake Ambassador and educate people about mountain goats and Leave No Trail principles. More info here.
- Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation: Multi and single-day, free trail stewardship trips in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. More info here.