New park opens in East Helena on May 1
- Prickly Pear Park Opening Celebration is on Thursday, May 1, Noon – 6 p.m.
- Prickly Pear Park is the second park to open on the former ASARCO properties in East Helena.
- Prickly Pear Park is the product of the community’s vision and collaboration with Prickly Pear Land Trust, a community-focused conservation organization.
East Helena, MT— Prickly Pear Land Trust, the City of East Helena, and East Helena School District will celebrate the opening of Prickly Pear Park on Thursday, May 1, from noon to 6 p.m. The event begins at noon with a ribbon cutting, followed by a cookout. All are invited to attend.
In 2011, East Helena asked Prickly Pear Land Trust to help establish two parks on the former American Smelting and Refining Company land. This land was remediated and restored after more than a century of lead smelting. The Grove and Prickly Pear Park will now be open to the public forever, providing the growing community invaluable access to recreation and nature.
“East Helena is an incredible community, and everyone – from the mayor and council members to the superintendent of schools and business leaders – works hard together selflessly to make their corner of the world better for future generations,” says Mary Hollow, executive director of PPLT. “The community built a roadmap for what they wanted with good jobs, homes, trails, parks, and connectivity, and they are doing it all very successfully – the opening of Prickly Pear Park turns that vision into reality.”
This 240-acre park features Prickly Pear Creek, trails for hiking and biking, wetlands bursting with birds, and stunning views of the Elkhorn and Big Belt Mountains. Prickly Pear Park boasts 1.5 miles of creek surrounded by healthy wetlands that provide valuable habitat for 160 bird species, including sandhill cranes, blue herons, killdeer, quail, and meadowlarks. It is also home to many mammals, including deer, elk, moose, bear, and beaver. The park is closed to dogs year-round to protect wildlife habitat, but dogs are welcome at nearby JFK Park and The Grove. Prickly Pear Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Grove and Prickly Pear Park also serve as East Helena’s outdoor classrooms where students can explore watershed health and conservation science just steps away from their school. Outdoor education inspires the next generation to understand and protect the wildlife and ecosystems in their own backyards.
Prickly Pear Park was made possible by partnerships between Prickly Pear Land Trust, the City of East Helena, East Helena School District, Montana Environmental Trust Group, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Montana Department of Justice Natural Resource Damage Program. Prickly Pear Land Trust owns and stewards the land.
Media Kit
Media kit available on request.
About Prickly Pear Land Trust
Prickly Pear Land Trust inspires connections to the landscapes, water, wildlife, recreation, and agricultural heritage of west-central Montana through conservation, now and for future generations.
