With the sun shining down on the Flathead Valley and snowpack quickly melting away, April is the perfect time to get back outside after a long winter. For folks in Kalispell, one of the quickest ways to enjoy the great outdoors are the Foy’s to Blacktail Trails at Herron Park, just southwest of town.
Herron Park was created in 1977 when Flathead County obtained 120 acres of land for the public. In the early 2000s, a group of trail enthusiasts began talking about building paths from Herron all the way to Blacktail Mountain near Lakeside. In the years since, the group has helped add hundreds of acres of land to the park and in 2015 it is now 440 acres. The Foy’s to Blacktail group has also helped build numerous trails in and around the park, including the 1.65-mile John Chase Trail and the 2.6-mile Notch Trail. A map and trail guide can be found free at Rocky Mountain Outfitter, Wheatons, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and the group’s kiosk at Herron. You can also find a copy of it on their website, www.foystoblacktailtrails.com.
How to get there: From Kalispell, take Meridian Road south from the intersection with U.S. Highway 2 until it turns into Foy’s Lake Road. When you reach Foy’s Lake Road at the 93 Bypass, the park is less than a mile away. A paved parking lot is available for visitors.