Shaping Helena's Parks and Recreation for the Next Decade

Your city is updating its Parks & Recreation Master Plan — a 10-year blueprint to guiding parks, pedestrian pathways, facilities, and green spaces through 2035. Your input shapes the outcome.

Why Now?

Helena's original master plan dates back to 2010 and was updated in 2018. Since then, the community has grown, park and sports fields use has surged, and many facilities have aged. This update will assess what's working, identify gaps, and chart a clear path for investment in the parks system through 2035.

Assess what we have

Inventory and condition review of all 42 parks, 8 miles of urban pathways*, aquatic facilities, and athletic fields.

Understand community needs

Citywide survey, focus groups, and pop-up events to capture community priorities.

Prioritize access

Ensure parks and programs are accessible and distributed across neighborhoods, ages, and abilities.

Set a 10-year action plan

Prioritized capital projects, operational improvements, funding roadmap, and performance metrics.

*Note: Mt. Helena and Mt. Ascension Natural Parks and the trail system therein are addressed through separate planning efforts. This plan will focus on our urban trails/pathways, but their connection to Helena's overall parks system will be considered to ensure a coordinated approach.

Have more questions about the plan? Check out the FAQ section.

The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will progress over four phases: Phase 1 includes an inventory and system assessment; Phase 2 will analyze park and recreation needs to identify gaps and opportunities; Phase 3 will develop action plan including goals, policies, recommendations, etc.; and Phase 4 will include the preparation of the Master Plan document.

How to Participate

This plan is built around community input. Multiple engagement opportunities are designed to be accessible and welcoming to everyone — especially those whose voices are not always represented in planning processes.

Consolidated City-County Parks Board & City Commission

The project team will present to both the Consolidated City-County Parks Board and the City Commission at specific milestones of the project. Next anticipated updates to occur in Fall 2026 and late Spring 2027.

Online engagement

Online activities to identify priority projects will be available in Winter 2026/2027, so stay tuned!

Previous Engagement Activities

A special thank you to all community members and stakeholders who participated in the following activities, which have been completed. Your input is being combined with technical data to identify community needs for parks, recreation facilities, and programs.

• Citywide survey: A statistically valid survey was conducted June through July 25, 2026 to reach a broad cross-section of Helena households.
• Focus groups: Small group conversations with community leaders and sports group representatives took place in July 2026.
• Pop-up events: The project team attended the Helena Farmers Market on July 18, 2026 to share information about the project, engage in conversations, and gather feedback from the community.
  
  

Your Voice Matters

Whether you use parks daily or haven't visited in years, your perspective matters. Watch Helena's social media channels for engagement opportunities as they are announced.