Missoula is often referred to as the last best place, and once you spend some time here, it is easy to see why. While all four seasons offer something unique to our visitors, fall is a particularly special time to be in Montana.
5: Outdoor Fun Abounds
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| Dogs welcomed! Most trails in Missoula allow dogs, and some have voice command rules so your pup can splash in the river or run around leash free. |
When the weather is mild and the
leaves are starting to change, there is no time more perfect to be outdoors in
Montana. Backpacking, hiking, biking, and camping are all still a great
recreation opportunities, with the night being just chilly enough to bundle into
a sleeping bag and the days just cool enough for hiking and exploring to be an
all day affair. Fishing is also great in late September and early October
following warm summers, and the fall Trico hatch will make any fisherman’s
dreams of a day on the water come true. There are many hiking trails in and
around Missoula to suit any hiker’s needs, from short 1-2 mile walks in Greenough
Park or up Waterworks Hill to longer more strenuous hikes in the Rattlesnake
Recreation Area, up Mount Jumbo, or exploring further into the surrounding
valleys. Fall is a great time for outdoor enthusiasts to explore the wilderness
by day before hitting the town in Missoula at night!
4: Farmers/Peoples Markets
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| Fall gourds start showing up at the market the first weeks in October. |
Missoula has three farmers
markets each week: The Tuesday Missoula Farmer’s Market, and the Saturday
Missoula Farmer’s Market and Clark Fork Market. In addition, every Saturday
there is a People’s Craft Market in downtown, too. These markets run spring
through fall, and they are always great fun and full of fabulous finds. More
than just produce, the farmer’s markets have live music and food trucks serving
up delicious town favorites. The People’s Market is a great place to take in
the local flair of Missoula’s craft scene. While the markets are busiest in the
summer months, the fall offers just as many vendors and offerings. The weather
is milder, there is a chill in the morning air, and it is very comforting to
grab a cup of local coffee and wander through the stalls of fresh produce
before heading over and shopping the craft fair. This is a fun way to spend a morning
through early afternoon in Missoula.
3: Football Season
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| The University of Montana Grizzlies call Missoula home, and Saturdays are spent cheering on this beloved team. |
One of the favorite local fall traditions in
Missoula is cheering on the UM Grizzlies. There is a devoted following in
Missoula, and you will be hard pressed to enter a sports bar or walk past a
shop during football season without seeing some Griz spirit. Come attend a game
and take on the full football season experience. The Comfort Inn is the closest
hotel to the stadium, so you can easily walk from your Missoula
home-base. No tickets? No problem! Attend a tailgate and enjoy the game with at
a brewery with a hundred of your new best friends.
2: Fall Festivals
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| Fall fun is just around the corner in Missoula! |
It seems like every weekend
starting mid-September brings a new, fun, and exciting fall festival to attend!
Each year, Fort Missoula hosts a Harvest Party where visitors can explore what
the harvest would have been like in frontier days. The new cidery Western Cider
hosts a fall harvest event with bring-your-own-apple pressings, food trucks,
and games for kids of all ages. The UM P.E.A.S farm hosts a pumpkin party each
year with carving and pie pumpkins for sale, harvest games, and apple pressing.
There are festivals in the Bitterroot Valley, like the one at Daly Mansion, and
the list goes on and on. For a complete list, view Destination Missoula’s events calendar. Fall harvest festival fun will put you in the mood for sweater
weather. Don’t forget your camera—you won’t want to miss a thing!
1: Fall Colors
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| Every street in Missoula is a fall foliage wonderland. |
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