Council Grove State Park
An undeveloped state park close to town
Council Grove is a "primitive" park with open fields, wooded areas, and access to the Clark Fork River.
Features: Picnic tables, river access, and a large sign describing the history of the site.
Accessibility info and site description: There is an accessible restroom, but no accessible parking. There are several picnic tables in the grassy area of the parking lot, and a backless bench near the entrance sign. There was an attempt at a paved section at the entrance sign but it is extremely rough and narrow, only runs about 15 feet, and creates a short dropoff to the rest of the recreation area. There is no official trail here, though there is a path that has formed from use and wear. The first stretch of this pseudo-path goes over very uneven and at times sandy terrain. About half way to the river, there's a large sign discussing the forced removal of the Salish, Pend d'Oreille and Kootenai peoples from this land. This sign is about 20 feet off trail, down a roughly 4 foot hill with a lot of tripping hazards like large pinecones. Continue down the path to reach the river, which is about 600 feet total from the parking lot. The river is down a steep, sandy bank, or you can sit on one of the several large logs overlooking the river. To continue on the path, turn left at the river and follow the narrow game trail through a lightly wooded area. After 400 feet, there's another path leading back to the parking lot. This stretch goes through a wide open field, with uneven terrain, more sand, and a large hole just before the parking lot fence.
My experience: This state park is a great example of the USFS website claiming a site is "ADA accessible" and then showing up to find it's... definitely not accessible. However, it's still a public recreation area close to town with views of the mountains that might be worth exploring. There's nothing in particular to do here, but the first time I visited I enjoyed playing with my camera and taking pictures of the trees. On my most recent visit, a few people were gathered at the picnic tables, a few were chatting on the logs near the river, and quite a few people were letting their dogs run around. According to Google reviews, this is a very popular spot with dog owners, and people rarely follow the "dogs must be on leash" rule.
Overall, Council Grove offers an open place in nature to explore close to town. Come here to catch up with a loved one, take your dog for a walk, or sit by the river, but if you're looking for accessibility, there are far better options nearby!
For more information, visit:
https://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/state-park/council-grove-state-park
