Mount Helena City Park
Park
1,039 acres29.4 mi of trail
Ambrose Trail1906 TrailPrairie TrailProspect Shafts Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Tracey Elizabeth · CC BY 2.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Helena
Helena has 75 miles of mapped trails, 4.3 for every square mile of land
24% of Helena’s land is conserved, about 2,636 acres. 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2,265 acres are parks and preserves, 67 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #1 of 42 in Montana. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
2,636 acres · of 17.3 sq mi of land
Trails
75 mi
4.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,265 ac
67 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
14 mi
2.1 mi lanes · 11 mi paths
Highest peak
5,433 ft
Mount Helena
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Helena?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Helena have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Helena is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #1 of 42 in Montana. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Helena’s overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical MT town 10% · U.S. 4%ATrails4.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (75 mi) · MT 0.7 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land67 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,265 acres) · MT 14 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · MT 91% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Montana towns of 2,500+ (42)#1 of 42
Montana towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 10%; the U.S., 4%), so Helena’s 24% is ahead of 90% of Montana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 100% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Mount Helena City Park, with 29.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mount Ascension Park
Park
488 acres14 mi of trail
Prickly Pear TrailEasy Rider TrailAftershock TrailRocky Road Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Dale Harris Park
Managed by City of Helena
24 acres1.5 mi of trail
Acropolis Crest Trails
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds
Park
147 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Nob Hill Park
Managed by City of Helena
40 acres1.1 mi of trail
Nob Hill Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Northwest Park
Managed by City of Helena
19 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 44 parks & preserves
Mount Helena City Park1,039 acres · 29.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Ascension Park488 acres · 14 mi of trail
DirectionsDale Harris Park24 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsLewis & Clark County Fairgrounds147 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsNob Hill Park40 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsNature Park22 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsNorthwest Park19 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsRyan Park53 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Hills Disc Golf Course34 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCentennial / Bausch Park65 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsMemorial Park16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsBureau of Land Mgmt69 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLincoln Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsBatch Memorial Park18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsSelma Held Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsFire Tower Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRamey Park13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsBarney Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsHill Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsSixth Ward Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHelena-Lewis and Clark National Forest15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsLockey Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Helena
Robinson Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsJanet Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWomen's Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsBeattie Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsCherry Hill Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Helena
DirectionsSiebel Fields26 acres
DirectionsExchange Field16 acres
DirectionsBill Carson Memorial Park6 acres
DirectionsMountain View Park5 acres
Skelton Park4 acres · City of Helena
DirectionsSherron Park2 acres
DirectionsJaycee Park2 acres · City of Helena
The Lazy Green2 acres
DirectionsWaukesha Park2 acres · City of Helena
DirectionsKay McKenna Park2 acres · City of Helena
DirectionsHighway Park2 acres
DirectionsSpring Meadow Lake State Park1 acres · Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
DirectionsCunningham Park1 acres · City of Helena
Pioneer Park1 acres
DirectionsClinton Park1 acres
Pioneer Village Park1 acres
Morrison Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,636 conserved acres
24% of Helena’s land. Who manages Helena’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other or Unknown Local Government2,207 ac
Town or city1,412 ac
County223 ac
Bureau of Land Management116 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits24 ac
U.S. Forest Service20 ac
State fish & wildlife5 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 2,207 acLocal Park · 1,625 acNational Public Lands · 116 acNational Forest · 20 acUnknown Easement · 14 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 7 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 33 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Other or Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Other or Unknown Local Government | 2,207 | Unknown |
| Mount Helena City Park Local Park | Town or city | 766 | Open |
| Mt Ascension Park Local Park | Town or city | 451 | Open |
| Lewis And Clark County Fairgrounds Local Park | County | 149 | Open |
| Butte Field Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 116 | Open |
| Ryan Park Local Park | County | 74 | Open |
| Centennial Park Local Park | Town or city | 60 | Open |
| Nob Hill Park Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Nature Park Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Helena National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 20 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
68 places to go in Helena
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Helena
Memorial Park PlaygroundIn Memorial Park
Directions56 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Helena
Paws ParkIn Centennial / Bausch Park
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Helena
Selfie Spot
DirectionsPeaks in Helena
Mount Helena5,433 ft elevation · In Mount Helena City Park
DirectionsDaisy HillIn Mount Helena City Park
DirectionsMeatloaf Hill
DirectionsNob HillIn Nob Hill Park
DirectionsStrawberry HillIn Mount Ascension Park
DirectionsSugarloaf Hill
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Helena
Cruse Community GardenHelena Commnity Gardens
DirectionsSundborn Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 34.2 miUnpaved · 41.4 mi
Ambrose Trail1.8 mi
1906 Trail1.6 mi
Prickly Pear Trail1.4 mi
Prairie Trail1.3 mi
Prospect Shafts Trail1.3 mi
Easy Rider Trail1.2 mi
Dump Out Trail1.2 mi
Aftershock Trail1.1 mi
Rocky Road Trail1.1 mi
Lower DeFord Trail0.9 mi
15 more trails
Archery Range Trail
0.9 miDiretissima Trail
0.9 miSwaney Trail
0.8 miLe Grande Cannon Trail
0.8 miPowerline Trail
0.7 miEntertainment Trail
0.7 miReeder's Village Trail
0.7 miOld Chevy Trail
0.6 miMcKelvey Trail
0.6 miFrolf Course
0.6 miHanging Draw Trail
0.6 miEagle Scout Trail
0.5 miBackside Trail
0.5 mi2006 Trail
0.5 miCatch Up Trail
0.5 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
14 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
11 mi
off-road bike paths
0.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
27Baseball
17Tennis
16Soccer
14Basketball
8Pickleball
4Football
1Softball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →50 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 10 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Former Montana Executive MansionBuilding · listed 1970
About itKluge HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itHelena Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1972
About itHauser MansionBuilding · listed 1979
About itChristmas Gift Evans HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itCathedral of Saint HelenaBuilding · listed 1980
About itT. H. Kleinschmidt HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itMontana State Capitol BuildingBuilding · listed 1981
About itMorris Silverman HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itAppleton House No. 13Building · listed 1982
About itJohn T. Murphy HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itYoung Women's Christian Association (Independent)Building · listed 1984
About it38 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Helena: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 37 | 48 | 56 | 66 | 74 | 85 | 84 | 73 | 58 | 43 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
January is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 2.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Helena →
Next door
Helena and its neighbors
Helena has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Helena75 miHelena West Side46 miHelena Valley West Central36 miHelena Valley Northeast13 miHelena Valley Southeast9.5 miEast Helena2.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helena | 24% | 4.3 | 67 | 99% | A+ |
| Helena Valley West Central | 22% | 1.4 | 7 | 50% | B+ |
| Helena West Side | 31% | 3.0 | 232 | 84% | A+ |
| Helena Valley Southeast | 7% | 0.4 | 111 | 51% | B+ |
| East Helena | 3% | 0.7 | 14 | 98% | B+ |
| Helena Valley Northeast | 6% | 0.2 | 19 | 32% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Helena
Where can I hike in Helena?
The longest trail networks: Mount Helena City Park, 29.4 miles; Mount Ascension Park, 14 miles; Dale Harris Park, 1.5 miles; Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Helena is conserved land?
24% of its land, against a typical 10% for a Montana town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Helena’s trails?
Mount Helena City Park and Mount Ascension Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Helena?
14 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.1 of painted or protected lanes, 11 of off-road paths and 0.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Helena?
81,734 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Helena or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,330 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Helena have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #1 of 42 in Montana. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Helena neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →