A 2.5-mile section of the Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana path was being finished last week, completing a 12-mile paved pathway from Meridian Road in Kalispell west through Kila along Ashley Creek.
Built on the former Great Northern Railroad bed, the trail winds its way through mostly undeveloped pristine Montana. Paved sections, with slight upgrades, provides for an easy walk, run or bike ride for any ability.
Benches are dotted along the path providing a place to relax in the surrounding solitude or bird watch. Yellow-headed and Red-winged blackbirds, Sandhill cranes and Canada geese are just a few of a great number of species that frequent the area along the trail.
“It’s open and quiet,” Emily Simonson of Kalispell said. “I can clear my mind. It’s my own little meditation.”
The Rails-to-Trail Conservancy will host a celebration later this fall to commemorate the official completion of the 12-mile stretch. A date for the celebration has not yet been announced, but it is planned to take place before the snow flies. For more information on the history of the conservancy or how to support the project, visit www.railstotrailsofnwmt.com.
How to get there: Access the trail off the intersection of Appleway Drive and Meridian Road. From Kila, access at Kila Road and U.S. Highway 2, near the Cottage Inn.