Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) is partnering with the Montana State Parks Foundation and Summit Independent Living on an accessibility improvement project at Wayfarers State Park near Bigfork, Montana. Conservation Corps crews are scheduled to work on trails and other park facilities from September 20 through October 3.
The project follows a recent accessibility review of Wayfarers State Park conducted by Summit Independent Living on behalf of the Montana State Parks Foundation. The assessment examined access to trails, picnic and beach areas, restrooms, camping facilities, parking areas, and the park’s boarding pier.
Located on the northeast shore of Flathead Lake, Wayfarers State Park provides visitors with access to recreational facilities and waterfront areas. The park currently has 30 campsites, including one accessible campsite, along with six designated accessible parking spaces.
The accessibility assessment identified projects ranging from relatively straightforward maintenance work to improvements that could require engineering and new construction. Among the opportunities identified was the quarter-mile Harry Horn Trail, where recommendations include clearing vegetation and low branches, addressing exposed roots, and adding resting and passing spaces.
The Lupine Loop Trail, which leads toward the park’s scenic overlook, presents a more extensive accessibility challenge. According to the assessment, portions of the trail are steep, rocky, and uneven, limiting access for many visitors with mobility disabilities. Developing an accessible route to the overlook could require engineering work and new trail construction, including a series of switchbacks.
The assessment also identified potential improvements in the park’s day-use beach and picnic area, according to the Whitefish Pilot. Recommended measures include widening trails, removing vegetation, and addressing protruding roots.
For campground and outdoor hospitality operators, the project highlights how accessibility improvements can extend beyond campsites and parking spaces to include the routes visitors use to reach recreational amenities. Trail surfaces, grades, vegetation, resting areas, and connections between facilities can all affect whether guests with varying physical abilities can use a property comfortably. While the Wayfarers project involves a public state park, similar considerations may apply to private campgrounds, RV parks, and glamping properties evaluating accessibility improvements or planning renovations.
MCC has undertaken similar accessibility-related trail work at Glacier National Park. Its crews have worked with the National Park Service for several years on the Swiftcurrent Loop Trail in the Many Glacier area. The 2.6-mile project has included widening sections of trail, removing roots and rocks, transporting more than 40 tons of material, and installing a durable trail surface designed to improve access for visitors with varying physical abilities. The work is funded through the Glacier National Park Conservancy, the fundraising partner of Glacier National Park.
MCC’s relationship with Montana State Parks also dates back decades. In the 1990s, Corps members worked with state park personnel at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park to remove and replace sections of a historic trail surface originally installed by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Founded in 1991, Montana Conservation Corps engages young people in conservation service projects across the region. The organization reports that its participants have improved more than 31,000 miles of trails, planted more than 1.4 million trees, and treated more than 163,000 acres of noxious weeds. Its participants currently provide more than 400,000 hours of service on public lands each year.
The Wayfarers project, running from September 20 through October 3, adds accessibility work to that broader conservation effort while demonstrating the range of planning and construction considerations involved in making outdoor recreation areas more accessible.
