An RV Adventure in Missoula, Montana
We wanted to explore more of Montana this summer, as we only drove through a small part of it when we were in the area two years ago. Missoula is the second biggest city in the state, and one we were interested in visiting, so we decided to spend a week checking it out!
Where we stayed - A great rv park in missoula
We quickly realized there weren’t many RV parks in Missoula, but after reading reviews and checking out photos on Campspot, we felt confident booking at Granite Peak RV Resort. We love booking with Campspot, because there are never any surprises. They are great about sending all the info you need regarding check in, campground rules, and reminders via email so arriving and getting settled is a breeze.
Granite Peak had nice, level spots, and great amenities. We enjoyed the swimming pool, playing miniature golf, ladder golf, cornhole and giant Connect Four. The staff was really nice and helpful too. Their front desk area had a store with clothing, snacks, and RV essentials, as well as a small gym, lounge area, and laundry.
One of the biggest pluses for us is that they happily accepted packages, which any RVer knows can be a big hassle finding a place to have packages sent to.
What We did
My parents flew in from Atlanta to visit us, and were excited to check out Missoula for the first time as well!
Downtown Missoula
On our first evening there, there was an event downtown with food vendors and live music. We enjoyed walking around, watching the kayakers play in the river rapids, and letting the kids play on a super cool wooden playground.
Aaron and I got to enjoy a little date day while my parents took the kids to a production of “The Wiz Of The West” at The Missoula Children’s Theater. They all had raving reviews of the performance!
Bike Riding
While everyone was at the play, Aaron and I explored the city with our e-bikes, ending our ride at Conflux Brewing Company. Most of the downtown area is bike friendly, which is great! However, most biking is done on the streets, so keep that in mind if you have little kids.
Admittedly, we should have done more research into this beforehand, as there are some walking / biking trails that we missed (the purple routes on this map, you’re welcome :)
A Fun Little Museum
Another stop on our itinerary wasn’t free but was very inexpensive, and helped us understand the unique history of the landscape of Missoula and learn about all the animals in the area! This place was the Montana Natural History Museum. We learned that the entire town of Missoula used to be underwater! We all got an interesting history lesson that we won’t forget!
St. Francis Xavier Church
One really unique place we all visited was St. Francis Xavier Church. It opened in 1892 and is a true piece of art. It showcases Christian belief through the murals and stained glass throughout the sanctuary and it truly breathtaking. Anyone is welcome to walk in and admire it’s beauty!
Where we hiked
We all wanted to go on a hike, so we hopped on All Trails to find something that was relatively flat and not too long that we could all enjoy together. Maclay Flat Nature Trail was only 1.7 miles, and was exactly what we were looking for. We loved stopping at the river and checking out all the cool rocks! It would be a great place to spend an entire afternoon, especially when the temperature is in the 90s!
Where we ate & drank
Like with most cities we visit, we wish we had more time (and a bigger budget!) to eat out and enjoy the local breweries. Our time in Missoula was no exception!
We we’re lucky enough to go out a few times though. Some restaurants we enjoyed during our time there were:
Iron Griz - A U. of Montana student-run restaurant that teaches students various skills like Management, Hospitality, and Guest Services. The atmosphere, service, and views were great (it sits right on a golf course), but the food for all of us was pretty average.
Biga Pizza - We had to try the highest rated restaurant in town (according to Trip Advisory), and were glad we did. The Fennel Marmalade, Bacon & Gouda pizza was amazing, and they had a nice drink menu. (Cranky Sam Public House right next door is high on our list for next time)
McKenzie River Pizza Company. Our favorite restaurant was McKenzie. Everyone loved their meal! They had a large menu with tons of delicious pizza offerings, and an impressive list of of non-pizza items as well.
Conflux Brewing Company: Our only brewery we were able to visit, and it was a good one! They had a really nice selection of beers, including some of their more rare seasonals. It is a modern, kid friendly environment with a pretty big food menu (we didn’t eat here). Tamarack Brewing was recommended by our rafting guide and is a spot we hope to visit next time.
River Rafting!
My parents took little trip to Glacier National Park during the week, and we took advantage of that time to do something they weren’t interested in but we were dying to do…go whitewater rafting!
We booked a full day excursion on the Clarks Fork River with Montana River Guides and all agree it was the best river excursion we’ve ever been on!
We got to brave Class 2 and 3 rapids, cliff jump, eat a delicious lunch with incredible views and even jump out and float over some smaller rapids on our backs! Our guide, Richard, took great care of us and was so much fun!
You can check out our short Instagram Reel about our rafting experience here.
Church
While St. Francis Xavier Church was beautiful, we decided to attend Zootown Church on Sunday morning. The name intrigued us, and some of us were halfway expecting to see animals, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit (we later found out that Zootown is simply the nickname for Missoula).
It turned out to be a great church with a fantastic kids ministry! You can view that week’s sermon here. We would eagerly visit again if in the area.
Summary
Missoula was a fun town that has a lot to offer in town and in the surrounding area. The only downside to our time in Missoula was the smoke and haze. It was so thick that it obstructed the beautiful mountains that surround the city. We didn’t realize how much of a downer it would be on our vibe of the city. Other than that, we enjoyed checking out a new city and look forward to coming back again!