The Peaks to Creeks Initiative brought PPLT’s work from the mountains into the Helena Valley, which was fertile ground for conservation. In 2016, PPLT partnered with the National Guard to purchase 205 acres of pasturelands adjacent to Fort Harrison and Tenmile Creek.
Over the following weeks, I watched the ponds expand as water slowly flooded the surrounding land. Still, I had yet to find a lodge where beavers lived with their colony, a small family group made up of an adult pair and their young.
As anyone who enjoys a road trip through Montana will attest, undeveloped viewsheds can soothe the nervous system.
Few seasonal changes in Helena are as recognizable as the blooming of balsamroot in the South Hills. The dry brown hillsides of winter suddenly give way to waves of yellow, turning trails like Rocky Road and Ambrose, gold for a few short weeks each May and early June.
Thirty years after its founding, Prickly Pear Land Trust marks its 30th conservation easement with Elk Ridge, protecting vital wildlife habitat and open space in the South Hills.
Ranching asks for strength, but also demands patience. You know how much of this work is unseen, unrecorded, and done simply because it needed to be.
In the Helena Valley, spring often arrives along the water. Snowdrifts recede from shaded banks, creeks swell with runoff, and willows begin to leaf out. Against the sound of moving water are the high, clear notes of migratory songbirds moving through the trees.
Since 2000, we’ve been gathering in the South Hills to kick up dust, chase personal bests, and celebrate the open lands that make Helena home. Whether you’re an alum who heard the first starting gun or a first-timer running for a cause, you’re part of the Happy Trails community.
Helena stands apart, where a long-standing “Happy Trails” culture reflects a community built on shared access, respect, and stewardship of its open lands.
In 2025, BCBSMT awarded over $470,000 in grants statewide, including $15,000 to support PPLT’s outdoor recreation and education programs.
