Located above the Clark Fork River just seven miles east of Missoula, Marshall Mountain has been a beloved part of the Missoula County for nearly a century.

20th Century

Locals used Marshall Mountain as an informal backcountry skiing and mountaineering location beginning in the 1920s. In 1937, Tollef Olsen installed a primitive rope tow and began Marshall Ski Area. It began as Over the next 65 years generations of western Montanans would learn to ski on its slopes.

The ski area changed hands many times over the decades. Olsen sold his business to the Denny family, who subsequently sold it to the Green family in the 1950s. The Greens built up Marshall, electrifying the ski hill around 1960. Missoulians flocked to the mountain by day as well as by night to ski under the mercury vapor lights. It grew commercial operation with a lift, two lodges and a ski school. 

The ski area’s runs had long been surrounded by US Forest Service and Anaconda Company land. In the 1970s, the Anaconda Company tracts were sold to Champion International and later Plum Creek Timber Company. Marshall Ski Area changed hands two more times before Bruce Doering purchased it in 1993.

"How Mountaineers Revel in Snow: Western Montana Presents Most Unusual Opportunities for Winter Time Sports in Its Mountainous Terrain" published on April 14, 1929 in The Sunday Missoulian. This article touts the mountaineers and skiers who frequented Marshall and the surrounding Rattlesnake mountains.

21st Century

By 2002, increasingly unreliable snowfall forced its closure as a ski hill. Through generous public access granted by the Doering family, the community continued to enjoy Marshall for events, backcountry skiing, and hiking

In the late 2000s, through its Montana Legacy Project, The Nature Conservancy purchased over 310,000 acres of Plum Creek Timber land in Montana. On Marshall, that included a 160-acre parcel of sunny ridges, shadowed draws, and a stretch of Marshall Creek between the red-roofed base area and the summit.

In 2015, The Nature Conservancy graciously donated its parcel on Marshall Mountain to Five Valleys Land Trust, based in Missoula, knowing that Five Valleys would steward it for the community that had long loved it. This same tear, Missoula City Parks & Recreation begins offering after school programs and camps like Zootown Derailleurs.

Soon after, Five Valleys began a partnership with a mountain biking nonprofit, Mountain Bike Missoula (now the Missoula Mountain Bike Coalition). Over the next nine years, Five Valleys and MTBM would work with supporters, volunteers, and many partners, notably Big Sky Brewing Company, to build a network of world-class mountain biking and multi-user trails.

In addition to offering year-round recreation opportunities, Marshall became an important location for local youth recreation programming. MTMB and the City of Missoula Parks and Recreation’s popular Zootown Derailleurs program brings hundreds of school children to the mountain each year, in addition to summer camps and other programs provided by area organizations. Marshall also hosted the 2017 and 2018 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships, showcasing the mountain’s exceptional trails and terrain.

In summer 2021, Izzy Dog LLC purchased the Marshall Mountain base area from the Doering family. Looking to the future of the Missoula community, Izzy Dog LLC leased the base area to the City of Missoula, and opened it to self-initiated, day-use recreation. Over 2022 and 2023, the City led an in-depth public comment, master planning, and public acquisition process for the 480-acre Marshall Mountain Park complex, comprised of three parcels: Izzy Dog LLC’s at the base, Five Valleys' midway up the mountain, and a 160-acre parcel purchased by The Conservation Fund at the summit.

As the public acquisition process continued, Missoula County emerged as the most suitable long-term owner. In October 2023, the City of Missoula and Missoula County each approved $1 million in open space bond funds for the acquisition and initial improvements at Marshall. In April 2024, after significant donations of value and in-kind gifts from the landowners, local businesses, and contractors, Missoula County purchased Marshall Mountain Park for $3.2 million. This public acquisition was made possible by over $1.2 million in private fundraising, led by Friends of Marshall Mountain. Public ownership was celebrated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in May 2024.

The Beastie Boys skiing at Marshall in 1987 during their License to Ill tour

Marshall Mountain Park benefits our community by:

• Continuing the legacy of youth education at Marshall Mountain.
• Creating an inclusive outdoor recreation space for Missoula County residents.
• Providing summer and out-of-school programming to meet the high demand for summer outdoor recreation programming in our community.
• Hosting community events with the opportunity to build a much-needed dedicated public space to host large outdoor recreational, educational and commercial events.
• Supporting natural habitat protection by through forest management, conservation and opportunities to teach responsible recreational principles.
• Supporting the growing population by addressing increasing pressure on public lands by providing an intentionally designed and dedicated space for high-use outdoor recreation opportunities.