The park is a legacy of the
Milltown Superfund, the first Superfund site to be listed in Montana. The site cleanup was begun in 1983 and restoration work is ongoing.
The 500 acre park extends from the Clark Fork River, just north of the confluence, up the slope to forested lands above. Much of the park is still undergoing restoration and is expected to be fully open by 2015. The viewpoint has an excellent view of the cleanup site, including the old dam site. Though the dam has been mostly removed, its footings remain under water and the old powerhouse to the north of the dam remains in place. From this viewpoint one may also see the 1921 roadway bridge in the distance as well as two of the original Great Northern railway bridges
With restoration continuing, much of the park is still closed as of late 2014. At present the viewpoint is open and is accessed by a paved walking path leading downhill from the parking area on Deer Creek Road. Access to the road is from Highway 200 in Bonner via Speedway Avenue.
When fully opened it will afford opportunities for Bird Watching, Heritage Viewing, Hiking, Learning History, Nature Tours, Photography, Picnicking, River Overlooks, Wildlife Viewing, Biking, Fishing and Floating. The park will include trails, picnic shelters and river access points.
Milltown State Park
Montana's newest state park has an anticipated opening in 2014.
Abundant outdoor opportunities and a rich cultural heritage converge at the newly restored confluence of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers at the heart of the Milltown State Park.
With a grand opening anticipated in 2014, Milltown State Park features more than 500 acres of terrain, ranging from restored river bottoms to a pine forested bluff overlooking the confluence. The park will afford visitors a place to go hiking, biking, fishing, floating and watching for birds and wildlife. The park will include trails, picnic shelters and river access points. The overlook is open now.
Interpretive displays will explore the natural and human history of the area. Among the many stories from the deep past are the Glacial Lake Missoula floods that shaped the landscape thousands of years ago. The Salish and Pend d' Oreille know the confluence as the place of big bull trout and consider it an ancestral home. In 19th century history, Meriwether Lewis made a Fourth of July passage through the confluence and decades later the Mullan Expedition spent a harsh winter there. Beginning in the 1880s, the rivers were dammed to produce power for the mills and communities but at great consequence.
The hopeful story of the Milltown Dam removal and rivers' return offers an opportunity to explore America's changing relationship to the land as well as the benefits that river restoration yields for Montana's families and communities.
Whether you come to play or to learn, there will be a lot to do at Montana's newest state park.
In the meantime, visit the Milltown State Park Overlook, located on the Deer Creek Road, for a panoramic view of the park and interpretive experience of the confluence below.
From Visit Montana