Charles Boles House · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.010% of Kalispell’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
12 miles of mapped trail cross Kalispell, 0.9 per square mile of land. 10% of Kalispell’s land is conserved, about 809 acres. The biggest trail networks: Woodland Park (1.9 mi), Kalispell Youth Athletic Complex (0.9 mi), Lawrence Park (0.6 mi).
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #13 of 42 in Montana. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Kalispell?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Kalispell have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Kalispell is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #13 of 42 in Montana. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
Montana towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 10%; the U.S., 4%), so Kalispell’s 10% is ahead of 49% of Montana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 63% of them.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Woodland Park, with 1.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Kalispell Youth Athletic Complex
Depot Park
All 29 parks & preserves
809 conserved acres
10% of Kalispell’s land. Who manages Kalispell’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 23 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Other or Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Other or Unknown Local Government | 652 | Unknown |
| Kalispell Youth Athletic Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 121 | Open |
| Lawrence park Local Park | Town or city | 91 | Open |
| Woodland Park Local Park | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Dry Bridge Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Begg Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Tennis Court Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Northridge Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Cottonwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Buffalo Head Park Wildlife Habitat Protection Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 4 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
41 places to go in Kalispell
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
31 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
2 waterfalls without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Plus 3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
3 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
19 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
61 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
49 more on the History page.
The best walking months in Kalispell: May and July 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) | 8.8 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 16.1 | 15.7 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.4 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 36 | 46 | 55 | 66 | 72 | 83 | 82 | 71 | 55 | 39 | 31 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 |
August is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 2.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Kalispell →
Kalispell and its neighbors
Kalispell has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalispell | 10% | 0.9 | 16 | 99% | A |
| Evergreen | 3% | 0.4 | 18 | 65% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Kalispell
Where can I hike in Kalispell?
The longest trail networks: Woodland Park, 1.9 miles; Kalispell Youth Athletic Complex, 0.9 miles; Lawrence Park, 0.6 miles; Depot Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Kalispell is conserved land?
10% 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 Kalispell’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Depot Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Kalispell?
19 miles of bike routes are on the map: 19 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Kalispell?
37,174 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Kalispell or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 741 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Kalispell have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #13 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 Kalispell neighbors.
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 →