Outdoors: A new trail begins to emerge in Beaver Creek Park

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports and outdoors editor

[email protected]

Havre Trails has done a lot of great things as it pertains to hiking, not only in Havre but also in Beaver Creek Park and the surrounding Bear Paw Mountains.

One of the new, and exciting, projects Havre Trails has been working on recently is the brand new Rotary Loop Trail, located near Bear Paw Lake.

Construction began on the trail last year, and as of June, the trail was about 75 percent finished.

This week, however, Havre Trails and the new one-mile loop were getting some help with a crew from the Montana Conservations Corps. The group is spending all this week on the new loop, helping construct and shape the trail, which is near and will eventually connect up with the existing Rotary Falls Trail.

The crew was working near the trailhead Monday afternoon, and crew foreman Colin Tobin, who resides in Helena, said it's a passion of his to help build new and exciting trails for outdoor recreation.

"It's really exciting to cut new tread and see a new trail open up behind you, and for the youth, this is the first time a lot of them have done trail construction, so they're really excited to work hard and get dirty and cut some new tread and have a nice trail left behind for people to enjoy," Tobin said.

Tobin said that the Conservation Corps is working in conjuction with Havre Trails to help continue the progress of the new one-mile loop, and while he himself enjoys breaking new ground in scenic places like Beaver Creek Park, he also said it's satisfying to bring and work with the youth crew, many of whom are experiencing their first times in places like the Bear Paw Mountains.

"We have six youth between the ages of 14 and 17, and this is their first experience on working on a trail like this," Tobin said. "So it's really exciting."

And the trail, which begins at the north end of Bear Paw Lake is certainly going to be exciting as well. It's set to become a one-mile loop, with a gradual elevation gain at the very beginning. Like many of the trails in Beaver Creek Park, it's set in perfectly and stunning beauty with elevation gains and drops and runs through open meadows, as well as trees and forests.

The trail, which was the dream child of the people at Havre Trails, while not fully completed yet, is open to the public. The trailhead is a green gate with a small parking area just over the Bear Paw Lake Dam, and just north of the lake itself.

And while Havre Trails has put in a lot of hard work and effort into bringing yet another new part of Beaver Creek Park to people who enjoy getting out and hiking and who enjoy recreating in the iconic park, helping bring that trail into existence is something Tobin and all the members of the Montana Conservation Corps enjoy as well.

"We're working in conjunction with Havre Trails," Tobin said. "We have a week here, and we'll work on trail maintencne, cutting some new tread and shaping things out. We'll try and do as much as we can in the week we're up here. So it's an exicting project and it's always exciting to see a new trail come to life behind you. And it's exciting to know you're helping to create something that people will come up here and enjoy for a long time."

For more on the new Rotary Loop Trail, or to see more about all the great things going on with Havre Trails, visit the Havre Trails Facebook page.