Rainbow Park
Missoula, Montana
| Address: | ~6710 Linda Vista Blvd, Missoula Montana 59803 |
| GPS: |
46°48'29.0"N 114°3'38.7"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | Montana |
Sled
Rainbow Park is one of Missoula's best-kept sledding secrets, a neighbourhood park up on the Linda Vista bench southwest of town where the hill does exactly what a sledding hill should. Locals describe it as an absolute blast and a hidden gem, and the reason is simple: it's a fun hill for all ages with an easy hike back up and a perfect slide down, which is the whole equation for a good afternoon in the snow.
The hill's best quality is its width. It's broad enough that even when the park gets busy after a fresh snowfall, you can carve out your own lane and sled without worrying about colliding with anyone else, which is a rarer virtue than it sounds; plenty of popular hills turn into a game of dodgeball on a good snow day. Here there's room for everybody, and the pitch suits grade-schoolers and teenagers equally, giving a real ride without being frightening.
Getting there is easy: take Lower Miller Creek Road to Linda Vista and you'll find Rainbow Park on the left-hand side, at roughly 6710 Linda Vista Boulevard, about five miles southwest of downtown Missoula. It's a City of Missoula park, free and unsupervised, so bring your own sled or tube; there are no rentals or attendants.
Outside of winter, the park is a well-rounded neighbourhood spot with a basketball court, tennis court, a multipurpose field, picnic tables and a slide, which makes it useful year-round rather than a one-season hill.
Like any sledding hill, the fun runs ahead of the caution. Speeds build quickly once the snow packs down or glazes over, and the runout ends in a city park with trees and playground equipment around, so a look at where you'll stop and an adult keeping an eye on the smaller kids is worth the trouble. Helmets are never a bad idea.
Western Montana delivers reliable snow, and the best runs come the morning after a fresh fall before the hill gets skied out and icy. Dress for real cold in waterproof layers and proper boots, bring your own sled, park considerately in the neighbourhood, and haul out everything you bring, broken sleds included. For Missoula families looking for a free, roomy, genuinely fun hill without driving up a canyon, Rainbow Park is the answer.
More Information
Facilities • City of Missoula • CivicEngage
View information about facilities in the community.
http://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/Facilities/Facility/Details/39Sledding Hills in Missoula | Destination Missoula
Winter is here! Grab your boots and your gloves, the snow is falling in Missoula! It is the perfect time of year to get outside and enjoy...
https://destinationmissoula.org/blog/sledding
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Missoula, Montana
- Head southeast on N 1st St W toward Northside Overpass (112 ft)
- Turn left onto Grand Ave (325 ft)
- Turn right at the 1st cross street onto N 2nd St W (367 ft)
- Turn right at the 1st cross street onto Old U.S. 93 W/N Orange StContinue to follow Old U.S. 93 W(2.2 mi)
- Turn right onto Brooks St (2.2 mi)
- Turn left onto Miller Creek Rd (0.5 mi)
- At the traffic circle, take the 1st exit onto Lower Miller Creek Rd (0.8 mi)
- Turn left onto Linda Vista BlvdDestination will be on the right(1.1 mi)
