If you’re a frequent Missoula trail user, you likely know every twist and turn of your favorite route. But do you know the story of the open spaces you enjoy every day? That’s the question that a new Five Valleys and Run Wild Missoula trail running series, Tales from the Trails, seeks to answer.
"Tales from the Trails' is such a special program because while most of Run Wild Missoula’s runs are about miles, these ones are about meaning,” says Sidney Scarlett, Programs & Communication Coordinator with Run Wild Missoula. “These runs invite runners of all backgrounds to learn the stories behind the open spaces that make Missoula such a special place to run and live. It's impossible to take the preservation of our access to these places for granted after joining us on one of these runs."
Led by Five Valleys’ Conservation and Communications Manager, Lena Viall, and Run Wild Missoula staff and volunteers, the runs offer a new glimpse of the landscape: its history, flora and fauna, how it came to be protected, and what’s in store. Runs are scheduled for once per season, and have so far explored the new Hoot Owl loop on the Republic Services conservation easement and the House of Sky Trail on the Mount Dean Stone Community Forest.
“There’s something really meaningful about sharing the story of a place with the people around you,” says Lena Viall. “It offers a moment to learn, reflect, and connect with the land in a unique way.”
Join us for our next run on Martin Luther King Day, on January 19, 2026, we tell the tale of private conservation lands in the North Hills. Participants must be a Run Wild Missoula member, but registration is free. Learn more and register here.
Header photo of Tales of the Trails at the Republic Services-Five Valleys conservation easement by Sidney Scarlett-Run Wild Missoula
