Pathways Newsletter

The non-profit Havre Trails has been connecting its community members to the landscapes they love since 2015. What began as a small group of local volunteers with a big vision to bring more hiking and walking opportunities to the Havre area has grown into a cornerstone of community recreation.

From the rolling hills of Bullhook Butte to the meandering trails of Beaver Creek Park, Havre Trails has worked hard to build and maintain trails that make it easier for residents and visitors to explore the area’s open spaces. “It’s really important to our region to have these opportunities. We have a lot of really great recreational space, but not a lot of access in some ways. So we were trying to catch up with the times with how people wanted to recreate,” said board president Lindsey Brandt-Bennet.

A strong MCC and Havre trails partnership has made much of this progress possible. Our Helena-based Central Divide crews have joined forces with Havre Trails nearly every year since 2017 to carve new paths through the Havre area. “We love partnering with Havre Trails. To meet our mission, it is important to create positive experiences for young people. Our members come away feeling like they got to be part of something important for this community,” said MCC’s Regional Director Adam Hein.

“We could not do it without MCC,” Lindsey says. “We really like the program and think that there’s a huge benefit to the region through the work and the experiences that people get to build through that. MCC has a great mission and does great things for the state.”

Through fundraising, creating educational resources, building and maintaining trails, and leading more than 50 community hikes, Havre Trails continues to promote access, wellness, and pride of place for the people of Havre. Together with MCC, they’re proving that even a small “crew” of volunteers can make a big impact, one trail at a time.