Each summer, Prickly Pear Land Trust hosts a handful of events and activities that are free and open to the public. We encourage all people of all experience levels to join us for a family hike to get the kids out and exploring, a community walk at one of our project sites, or a trail work night to get your hands dirty and help maintain the trail system that we all love.
Call the office at 406-442-0490 for any questions or check our social media pages for the most up-to-date information.
PPLT’s 2021 Summer events will be published here shortly!
You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or sign up for our monthly email.
Join Prickly Pear Land Trust and project manager, Nate Kopp, for a morning of willow cutting at our Sevenmile Creek restoration site from 9 AM to 11:30 AM on Saturday, April 13. The willows will be cut and harvested, then replanted on a later date along the creek to help build up vegetation and prevent erosion. Access the private property off of Head Lane follow these directions.
What to bring:
Wear closed toed shoes and pants that can get a little muddy. PPLT will provide gloves and instruction.
Join PPLT staff, volunteers, and the City of Helena as we work to “Make Single Track Single!” by reclaiming parallel tracks on Swaney and Ambrose Trail. We will reestablish the correct trail alignment, close down one of the two parallel trails, and seed them with native grasses. Meet at Tubbs Trailhead on LeGrande Cannon Ave on April 29, by 5:30 PM. Remember folks, stay on all established trails so that they do not get widened and create parallel tracks!
**Note that this schedule is subject to change based on how wet or dry the trails are so please RSVP to our Facebook event or check our website for any changes to meeting location.
What to bring: In order to volunteer with PPLT, you must be wearing proper protective equipment. That includes, close-toed shoes, gloves (if you have them, we will have some you can borrow if you don’t), bike helmet/hard hat (if you have one, we have a limited supply of hard hats to borrow if you need one.)
Get the kids outside for a family-friendly hike! Care to see a different part of the trail system, get the kids to explore Helena’s backyard, or get some fresh air with company? PPLT volunteers will be leading a casual hike from the Diehl Trailhead, Tuesday, May 14, at 5:30 PM.
Care for a Sneak Peak? Explore the dynamic Sevenmile Creek property with us! Listen to the babble of the creek while Project Manager, Nate Kopp, babbles about the new ecology and hydrology and what is coming in 2020. This community tour will be capped at 25 participants, so please RSVP or send questions to [email protected] asap. Community Walk at Sevenmile Creek will take place Tuesday, May 21, at 5:30 PM. There are only a few spots left!
*Reminder: Restoration work is ongoing at Sevenmile Creek property, so the site will remain closed to the general public.
Stop and smell the… well, all the wildflowers! Hang out with some new buds on the Mount Helena Wildflower Walk on Thursday, May 23, starting at 7 PM. Meet us at the Mount Helena trailhead to learn about our local wildflowers and how to spot them.
National Trails Day is set for June 1! Join forces with the many trail enthusiasts across the country by getting your hands dirty and improving your local trails. Prickly Pear Land Trust has planned for various projects in the Helena South Hills, at Spring Meadow Lake State Park, and at Tenmile Creek Park. We will meet at 9 AM at the Montana Conservation Corps Office (1229 E Lyndale Ave) and, from there, rally to the different project locations for a morning of trail work. The work will end by noon, followed by a luncheon hosted by Prickly Pear Land Trust.
We have some great trail projects lined up! One crew will be improving the small climbing trails and belay pads near the climbing area on Mt. Helena, the second crew will be building wheelchair-accessible picnic pads at Tenmile Creek Park, and the third crew will be rehabilitating some double-track trails on Mt. Ascension back to single track. The fun doesn’t end there! We will have decomposed granite stockpiled to resurface a new connector trail that was created at last year’s National Trails Day—it connects the Centennial Trail to Tenmile Creek Park, across Spring Meadow Lake State Park property. By resurfacing that trail, there will be a contiguous, universally accessible route from Centennial Park to Tenmile Creek Park. Thank you to Meadowlark Music Festival for sponsoring this connector trail!
As always, PPLT is proud to partner with an awesome team of local conservation and rec groups – Montana Conservation Corps, Helena Parks and Recreation, Helena Climber’s Coalition, and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.
PPLT staff and volunteers will be working on two exciting South Hills trail projects. Project 1: revisiting the Bompart connector trail built in 2018 for a traditional year-after maintenance effort of pulling weeds in disturbed areas, widen narrow sections, rake away slough, and more! Project 2: retreading a section of Easy Rider between 2006 and Archery Range. All are invited to meet us at the Beattie Street Trailhead at 5:30 PM on Monday, June 17.
**Note that this schedule is subject to change based on how wet or dry the trails are so please RSVP to our Facebook event or check our website for any changes to meeting location.
What to bring: In order to volunteer with PPLT, you must be wearing proper protective equipment. That includes, close-toed shoes, gloves (if you have them, we will have some you can borrow if you don’t), bike helmet/hard hat (if you have one, we have a limited supply of hard hats to borrow if you need one.)
PPLT is joining forces with Back Country Horsemen of Montana, Montana Wilderness Association, and Montana Bicycle Guild for a weekend of re-routing the Kading Trail. Once completed, the Cliff Mountain Crest Trail will offer stunning views of the Flint Creek Range, the Pintlers, and the Electric Peak Recommended Wilderness. The trail will connect to forest trails in Baggs Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and to the Continental Divide Scenic Trail. Here’s your chance to join a team of hard-working visionaries who know how to have a good time while out working on the trail!
Must RSVP to [email protected] or 442-0490
What to bring: In order to volunteer with PPLT, you must be wearing proper protective equipment. That includes, close-toed shoes, gloves (if you have them, we will have some you can borrow if you don’t), bike helmet/hard hat (if you have one, we have a limited supply of hard hats to borrow if you need one.)
As part of PPLT’s week of celebrating its history of acquisitions in the South Hills, join volunteers for a community trail work day at the Beattie St. trailhead on Monday, July 15, from 5:30—7:30. There will be a variety of tasks for people of all ages and different levels of ability.
What to bring: In order to volunteer with PPLT, you must be wearing proper protective equipment. That includes, close-toed shoes, gloves (if you have them, we will have some you can borrow if you don’t), bike helmet/hard hat (if you have one, we have a limited supply of hard hats to borrow if you need one.) PPLT will provide trail tools, supervision, water, a great time!
This week, we are celebrating PPLT’s history of land acquisitions in the South Hills! The first land purchase took place 20 years ago on Mt. Ascension, and the most recent one took place just last week on Mt. Helena. There are so many reasons to celebrate, so we are throwing a party! As part of the Live on the Gulch block parties, join PPLT outside for a summer evening of celebrating. Enjoy refreshments, food trucks, and live music by Full Flight—featuring one of PPLT’s own! See you this Thursday, July 18, from 5–8 PM outside of The Hawthorn and Ten Mile Creek Brewery where you can celebrate what this community has accomplished together! Bring a friend or a neighbor to help PPLT continue this legacy.
Join PPLT at the Saturday Farmers Market downtown on Fuller Ave from 9 AM—1 PM. We will have info on projects and plenty of swag like hoodies, T-shirts, hats, dog leashes—everything needed for adventure in the South Hills! Swing by to say hi and learn about Cactus Club.
Hey there go-getters, join us for a PPLT Volunteer Appreciation Party, August 20th. Your work on the trails, at community events, behind the scenes, along the race, and in our office makes this community closer and our work possible. You are our rock. So leave the gloves and work boots behind, the only shoveling required is shoveling in some grilled fare! As a tiny token of our great appreciation, we will have food, beer, wine and fun prizes for our action folks.
Location: Spring Meadow Resources Pavilion – Parking is available at Spring Meadow Resources or you can hike over from Tenmile Creek Park.
Time: August 20, 5:30-7:30
On Thursday, August 22nd Tenmile Creek Park will be hosting two stellar events—one at 10am the other at 10pm—free to the public. From 10 to noon, kids and adults can join PPLT staff and volunteers in creating astronomy themed art by the creek. All are welcome, but to make sure we have sufficient supplies, we encourage groups of 5 or more to RSVP. Later, from 10–11 PM, join us for a night of informed stargazing from Tenmile Creek Park with Carroll College Astronomy Professor, Kelly Cline. Everyone will get a chance to take a closer look at the Big Sky, Jupiter’s moons and Saturn’s rings which are visible now. For both events, meet at the trailhead parking lot at 1505 Williams Street.
Interested in Tenmile Creek Park, PPLT projects, or the local Environment? Wanna get outside with some company? PPLT is hosting a casual Family Hike at Tenmile Creek Park on September 10th, at 6PM. We’ll start at Tenmile Creek Park’s parking lot at 1505 Williams Street and make our way to the creek together on the flat, wide trails. The hike is open to people of all ages and abilities and is guided by PPLT education volunteers.
Make the trek by foot, bicycle, or drive out to the start of the Barking Dog trail on Oro Fino Gulch to volunteer on the trails with us on Monday, September 16th from 5:30—7:30. There is limited parking on either side of the road, so please consider carpooling to the event. This trail is in need of some love after the hard rains of August—come help us get this trail back up to standard!
DONATE TODAY
Your donation matters.