Council Grove

Council Grove State Park encompasses 187 acres of cottonwood bottomland along the Missouri River near Missoula in Missoula County. The park preserves one of the last intact cottonwood gallery forests in western Montana and marks the site of a historic council between Governor Stevens and the Flathead Nation.

The mature cottonwood forest supports great blue herons, woodpeckers, and diverse songbirds. White-tailed deer browse in the understory. The river provides habitat for trout and other native fish species. Bald eagles and ospreys frequent the area.

A magnificent old-growth cottonwood gallery forest dominates the park, with trees reaching over 100 feet tall. The understory includes snowberry, wild rose, and various native shrubs. This represents an increasingly rare riparian forest type in Montana.

The park occupies the floodplain of the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot River. Glacial Lake Missoula once covered this area during the Pleistocene, depositing fine-grained sediments that now support the rich cottonwood forest.

Western Montana's Missoula Valley experiences relatively mild winters and warm summers compared to the eastern part of the state. Annual precipitation averages about 14 inches. The valley setting can trap inversions during winter.

In July 1855, Governor Isaac Stevens met with chiefs of the Flathead, Kootenai, and Upper Pend d'Oreille tribes at this site, leading to the Hellgate Treaty that established the Flathead Reservation.

Council Grove State Park was established to preserve the historic treaty site and the rare old-growth cottonwood forest. The park provides a natural and cultural oasis near Montana's second-largest city.

A trail system winds through the ancient cottonwood forest. Interpretive signs explain the 1855 treaty council. Birdwatching is excellent in the diverse riparian habitat. The park offers a peaceful retreat near Missoula.

The park provides day-use facilities including trails and picnic areas. It is located about 5 miles west of Missoula on Mullan Road.

The park protects one of Montana's finest remaining cottonwood gallery forests, an increasingly rare ecosystem threatened by development, altered river flows, and lack of regeneration.