Frenchtown Pond

Frenchtown Pond State Park encompasses 41 acres around a small pond near Frenchtown in Missoula County. The park provides convenient swimming, fishing, and picnicking for Missoula-area residents in a family-friendly setting.

The pond supports largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and bluegill. Waterfowl visit seasonally, and red-winged blackbirds nest in the cattails. White-tailed deer occasionally visit the park, and various songbirds inhabit the surrounding trees.

Cottonwoods and planted trees shade the park. Cattails and rushes fringe portions of the pond. The surrounding terrain features native grasses transitioning to the ponderosa pine forests of the Missoula area.

The pond occupies a former gravel pit that filled with groundwater. The Frenchtown area sits in the Missoula Valley, which was covered by Glacial Lake Missoula during the Pleistocene, depositing layers of fine sediment.

The Missoula area experiences relatively mild western Montana climate with cold winters and warm, dry summers. Annual precipitation averages about 14 inches. Valley inversions can trap cold air and smoke during winter and summer.

Frenchtown was settled by French-Canadian fur traders and their families in the mid-1800s. The area developed as an agricultural community in the Missoula Valley.

Frenchtown Pond State Park was developed around the former gravel pit, converting an industrial site into a valued community recreation area.

Swimming in the pond is the primary summer activity. Fishing provides year-round recreation. A playground and picnic areas make the park popular for families. Ice fishing is possible in winter.

The park offers day-use facilities including a swimming area, fishing access, playground, and picnic area. It is located adjacent to Frenchtown, about 15 miles west of Missoula on Interstate 90.

The park demonstrates successful reclamation of a former industrial site for public recreation. Water quality management maintains the pond for swimming and fishing.