Bicycling in Missoula is a wonderful way to explore this gem of a city in western Montana. The city teems with bike trails throughout and beyond Missoula’s city limits. Perched along the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers, the town’s bike paths offer views of historic downtown Missoula, kayakers and if you are lucky in the early morning, wildlife.

Crossing town is easy as well, with paths like the Bitterroot bike trail running parallel along the old Milwaukee rail line. More adventurous riders can enjoy trails in the Rattlesnake Valley (pictured below), where dirt paths take you closer to even more nature. But even bicyclists who prefer paved bike paths can score plenty of exercise in this city of 67,000.

The city’s streets are very bicycle friendly, too. Most of the main thoroughfares either have dedicated bicycle lanes or offer plenty of space for both bikes and cars alike. Ample bike racks also make it easy to lock up your two wheeled friend while enjoying Missoula’s hopping music scene, vibrant coffee houses and decadent restaurants.

If you travel in Missoula for a few days and do not have a bike, rent one for a competitive price at one of the city’s bicycle rentals. My choice is Big Sky Bikes, near the Doubletree hotel on 809 East Front Street. They have another location at 1110 South Avenue West. A few doors down is the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce, which has a break booklet of suggested bike trails at all levels.

As for those calories you burned, Missoula has plenty of great restaurants to pack them back in!

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Rattlesnake Valley, just northeast of downtown Missoula

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Downtown Missoula from the Clark Fork River bike trail

About The Author

Leon Kaye

Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division, GGP Media. Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event. His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He writes for San Francisco-based Triple Pundit, Inhabitat and now The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's Architect Magazine. Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.