Prickly Pear Land Trust

Prickly Pear Land Trust Connecting land and people

We asked our staff to share some of their favorite trails and parks. For Rachel, it’s the Ridge Trail.“After months buri...
09/02/2026

We asked our staff to share some of their favorite trails and parks. For Rachel, it’s the Ridge Trail.

“After months buried under winter snow, that first spring Ridge run brings a bright, once-a-year kind of magic. It’s the official kickoff to trail season—the start of long runs, weekend hikes with friends and family, watching the hills turn from brown to vivid green, and catching the first wildflowers reaching for the sun. No matter how you get up there, you have to earn the climb to the top, but then you get to float along the ridge for miles. I always end up grinning from ear to ear, feeling so light I could fly.”

📸 Rachel Rountree

REMINDER: Today’s the day to speak up for public lands.The Roadless Rule protects 58.5 million acres of National Forest ...
09/01/2026

REMINDER: Today’s the day to speak up for public lands.

The Roadless Rule protects 58.5 million acres of National Forest lands across the country from activities that can fragment undeveloped landscapes. Here at home, 1.5 million acres—about half of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forests—are designated as Inventoried Roadless Areas.

These places provide important wildlife habitat, support natural processes, and offer the kind of remote recreation opportunities that are becoming harder to find.
With the Roadless Rule facing a proposed rollback, now is the time to make your voice heard.

Stop by Brothers Tapworks TODAY, September 1, anytime between 4:30 and 7 p.m. for Postcards for Public Lands. We’ll have everything you need to write and send a postcard urging the USDA to keep the Roadless Rule.

How well do you know your animal tracks? 🐾Next time you’re at Prickly Pear Park, test your wildlife knowledge with our n...
08/31/2026

How well do you know your animal tracks? 🐾

Next time you’re at Prickly Pear Park, test your wildlife knowledge with our new interactive animal track signs along the trail! See if you can match the tracks to the animals that call this area home.

It’s a fun challenge for kids, families, and anyone who wants to brush up on their tracking skills.

A big thank you to Rawlings Concrete for donating their time and materials to help us bring these wildlife tracks to life in concrete!

08/31/2026

🥾🚲 More than 200 community members hit the trails this summer for our Hike IT & Strike It Challenge and turned in 1,528 Bingo cards! Now it's time to celebrate our winners:

🏆 $1,000 Grand prize: Stephanie Mulberry
💰 $500 Winners: Kim Lloyd & Laura Maurillo
🌵 Prickly Pear Swag Bag Winners: Abigail Todd & Justin Braun

A big THANK YOU to everyone who hiked, biked and joined the fun! We loved seeing our community get outside and enjoy the trails. 🌲

Thanks to our partners at Prickly Pear Land Trust for another great year! Until next year.... See you on the trails!

War Eagle Hill is officially protected!Located just six miles northwest of Helena, a vital piece of local history and ha...
08/26/2026

War Eagle Hill is officially protected!

Located just six miles northwest of Helena, a vital piece of local history and habitat is now permanently protected thanks to a partnership between Double L Family Land, Prickly Pear Land Trust, and the Montana National Guard.

The 198-acre property features pristine native grasslands, vibrant riparian corridors, and old-growth forest that serve as critical winter range and movement corridors for elk, moose, pronghorn, and bears. One notable resident is an ancient Douglas-fir tree measuring nearly 60 inches in diameter.

War Eagle Hill also connects to Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest and will provide public hunting access through Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Block Management Program.

Read more about War Eagle Hill: https://pricklypearlt.org/war-eagle-hill/

📷 Photo by Kevin League Fine Art Photography

08/25/2026

UPDATE: WE ARE SOLD OUT!!!

What would you name Helena’s newest trail?

Golden Tickets are going fast, so stop by the PPLT office at 40 W. Lawrence St., Suite A to get yours. The winner will have the chance to name the new 0.6-mile trail connecting Pinchot Trail to Top of the World in Helena’s South Hills.

Some of the wildest, most pristine forest lands in Montana are under threat from the proposed rollback of the 25-year-ol...
08/25/2026

Some of the wildest, most pristine forest lands in Montana are under threat from the proposed rollback of the 25-year-old Roadless Rule. Millions of acres of spectacular, undeveloped places are at risk of development.

Join us for Postcards for Public Lands to speak up for your favorite wild places and write a postcard urging the USDA to keep the Roadless Rule. The USDA has opened a very short comment window, and now is the time to make your voice heard.

Come by Brothers Tapworks on September 1 anytime between 4:30 and 7 p.m. We'll have everything you need to write and send your postcard.

RSVP today: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/cm3uzzb/lp/dbbc3f50-69ff-4e85-a304-b15144720f89

Can't make it? Craft your own letter today with these tips for writing your public comment: https://greateryellowstone.org/take-action/protect-the-roadless-rule #/30/

Konner is getting the animal tracks ready for tomorrow! 🐾Join PPLT and Helena C.O.R.E. tomorrow, August 25, from 6 to 7 ...
08/24/2026

Konner is getting the animal tracks ready for tomorrow! 🐾

Join PPLT and Helena C.O.R.E. tomorrow, August 25, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Prickly Pear Park and see how many you can identify. We’ll walk the trails, look for signs of wildlife, and put your track identification skills to the test along the way.

There’s still time to register! https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/243377

Good news for Happy Trails! Thanks to Jefferson County and a helpful landowner on the corner lot, the public access park...
08/20/2026

Good news for Happy Trails!

Thanks to Jefferson County and a helpful landowner on the corner lot, the public access parking issue at the Eddye McClure East Trail is resolved! While “social” trail use has existed for decades, PPLT built the official 2.2-mile Eddye McClure East Trail in 2011. The trail is located entirely on private land, and PPLT holds three easements that protect public access. Eddye McClure East is one of the most popular trails in Jefferson County and a gateway to the South Hills for Jeff Co residents.

Since 2020, PPLT and Jefferson County have been working to fully restore access and parking. Last week, the county worked with the new landowner to remove the fence from the right-of-way and PPLT built a new fence on the legal boundary that protects parking and access. There’s now space for about eight vehicles to park near the South Hills Road and Martinez Gulch intersection. From there, visitors can hike or bike .25-mile on the road to the official trailhead.

Thank you to Jefferson County, Martinez neighbors, and the trail community for making this access to public lands possible. Your support made it possible for PPLT to shepherd this access over the last decade. We will continue to work with the county to build a connector trail from the parking to the trailhead, with the goal of getting people off of the road.

Address

40 W. Lawrence Street, Suite A
Helena, MT
59601

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14064420490

Website

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