If you have lived in Missoula a long time, like the family owned Palmer Electric business, you know the

town like the back of your hand… Or do you? In this article you will learn all of the potential missed

opportunities that you may not have known existed in Missoula. If you are new to Missoula, then use

this as a starting point for your awesome Missoula journey. Don’t worry, we won’t share this article with

any tourists.

Griz/Cat Rivalry

Okay, so this is an obvious one, but if for some reason you have not been to the oldest ongoing football

rivalry in the nation and you live in Missoula then you need to reevaluate your life priorities. It doesn’t

matter if you’re a fan of the Longhorns or the Huskies or even the Seahawks, once you witness the

Cat/Griz rivalry in person there is no going back.

The Washington Grizzly Stadium holds roughly 26,500 people and provides one of the best, if not the

best, venue for football in America. On top of that, it was ranked one of the loudest college football

stadiums in the country as well. If by some miracle you haven’t been to a Griz game, then I would highly

suggest meandering down during football season and experience your life change forever.

Brennan’s Wave

It may sound weird but there is actually a very popular surfing spot in the landlocked state of Montana.

It is located on the Clark Fork River in downtown Missoula across from the Tamarack Brewing Company.

On hot summer days you can swing by the brewery for their awesome Bloody Mary bar and the next

thing you know you are surfing on the Clark Fork River.

Brennan’s Wave has become more popular in the past few years and there are plans to create a second

wave just a few yards up from Brennan’s to up the action. Essentially, during certain times of the year,

you can go snowboarding at Snowbowl Ski Resort and surfing in the same day in the same city!

Maggot Fest

The unofficial official biggest rugby tournament in North America. This event draws in thousands of

visitors from around the world to Missoula Montana around the middle of May. If you have lived in

Missoula for a long time and have noticed that during a certain part of the year their seems to be a

second Halloween where people are walking around in funny costumes, then you have noticed the

effects of Maggot Fest.

Not only are the festivities from this event fun to admire but the rugby games go on for three days

straight and are free to the general public. If you ever wondered what rugby was or you already really

like the sport, then I would strongly suggest checking Maggot Fest out. If crowds aren’t your thing but

you would still like the rugby action, then you can watch local games of the Missoula Maggots rugby

team or the University of Montana Jesters.

Outdoors: Parks, trails, and more

There are countless outdoor activities to do in Missoula Montana, however I will try to list the top ones

for trail enthusiasts and families. Obviously the “M” trail is a must-do for any hiker. It is the giant M on

the side of Mt. Jumbo if you are unfamiliar. It offers a great view of Missoula and the University of

Montana campus. Something you may not have known however is that if you continue hiking to the top

of the hill above the M, you will find the high-water mark for Glacial Lake Missoula, which if you haven’t

heard of before it is worth researching.

If you are looking for more family oriented fun, then you could check out Splash Montana or Caras Park.

Splash Montana is a small water park that is equipped with water slides, lazy river, splash pad, and much

more. If water isn’t your thing, then Caras Park might be more up your alley. It consists of a carousal and

a gigantic playground for your little ones, or you if that’s your thing.

One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of outdoor activities when living in Missoula Montana. To list

them all would take years. Hopefully you were able to learn some new things and possibly try some new

activities next chance you get to explore the Missoula area.