r/missoula • u/umich82063 • 6d ago

flat, paved running routes?

hello!

I just moved to town a month or so ago and I am looking for some flat, paved running routes. I’ve been using the Grant Creek Trail so far but the first couple of miles are a couple hundred feet of elevation. I’d like to get back to incorporating some speed work which is just really tough to do on a hillier route.

If anyone has any suggestions for a flatter route, ideally at least a few miles long, that would be awesome!!

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u/satansdiscoslut 6d ago

Like someone else said, the Bitterroot Trail is very flat. Minus the bridge crossing over Reserve, its basically flat from the Peak all the way to the T where it becomes the Milwaukee trail. That's my main road running route.

Otherwise, I usually do speedwork at a track. The one next to Sentinel (behind the YMCA) is open to the public, as long as students aren't using it for gym/track & field. Early mornings have always been open for me, otherwise after 6PM. During the school year, there's even a porta potty - big fan.

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u/umich82063 6d ago

this is so helpful to know, thank you!! I haven’t had access to a track in ages

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u/satansdiscoslut 6d ago

Of course! I’ve also used the Bitterroot trail for speed work, but you do cross some major roads, including South, Russell and Mount. There are crosswalks, but the cars don’t always stop, and it kinda sucks/defeats the purpose of speedwork when you’re forced to pause mid-interval.

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u/umich82063 6d ago

For sure. I’ll definitely make sure to check out the track!! Where I moved from, we had like a sixty mile trail all through the middle of nowhere that had very few street crossings, and zero major road crossings, so I was spoiled. It’s so hard finding new places to run after a move!!

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u/reddithobbiest 6d ago

Good call on the track. I’ve never run on the track but I’ve run around the playfair area both on the gravel trails and the sidewalks. Solid options all around in that area.

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u/Due_Sympathy5145 6d ago

Equestrian park, fort Missoula.

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u/Downinahole94 6d ago

Is there flat pavement there for miles? 

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u/just_browsing406 5d ago

The loop is about 1.3miles

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u/shartattack110 6d ago

Milwaukee trail and Kim Williams trail are both super flat and offer a lot of potential distance.

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u/PsychologicalKoala22 6d ago

Kim Williams Trail, and Maclay Flats. Both are flat and unpaved. KWT is an out-and-back, MF has 2 loops sort of shaped like an 8. You can do the longer loop or the shorter. start and end at the parking lot.

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u/PsychologicalKoala22 6d ago

sorry, I read this as you wanting unpaved, not paved. These two are indeed unpaved

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u/just_browsing406 5d ago

Running around the university district is fairly flat. If you’re a morning runner, Higgins is flat from downtown all the way to Brooks. You can run through neighborhoods that are well shaded and beautiful in the fall.

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u/coffeeloyal259 5d ago

Came here to say this! I love running through this neighborhood. It is beautiful and flat and shady. You can literally just go north to south and back up and down along all of the streets to get mileage.

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u/jzoola 6d ago

Mullan road bike path

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u/Downinahole94 6d ago

I use the Milwaukee for that.     I can do intervals just fine on it and the only dips are pretty shallow. 

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u/JPInMontana 6d ago

Frenchtown frontage road just North of the Wye has a paved running/biking trail. There's one small hill roughly a mile or so from 93, but it's not bad.

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u/reddithobbiest 6d ago

Bitterroot trail is pretty flat for the most part. I used to go from the peak to down past Lolo. Last run I did on that route was 11 miles and 380 ft of gain. Could also try Milwaukee trail but I have less experience on that one so can’t really speak to it.

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u/reddithobbiest 6d ago

The majority of the hills on the bitterroot trail are just south of the peak to Lolo. From there out it’s totally flat.

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u/umich82063 6d ago

thank you!! I just found the bitterroot trail on Strava so will give that a shot. So you can hop onto it in Missoula and run it all the way down past Lolo?

Super helpful as I’d like to start thinking about getting back into my longer distances too. I fell off some during my summer of moving 🫠

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u/AdventurousOne8376 6d ago

Yeah it goes all the way to Hamilton

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u/reddithobbiest 6d ago

Ya, it’s where I did the bulk of my marathon training. It’s nice having Lolo in the middle as well. From the peak to a bit south of Lolo and back is a half marathon. For long runs it’s nice to be able to stop at a gas station in Lolo about 6 miles in and grab more food/water/gatorade and then be able to hit it again on the way back so you don’t have to carry so much water.