Frenchtown Pond
Old fashioned swimming holes like us older folk remember seem to be a thing of the past. A place with jumping docks, small beaches, plenty of fish, enough room to float, swim distances, and have a great picnic and cook-out. They still exist in Montana and close to Missoula there is Frenchtown Pond. One of Montana’s great 55 state parks, it is located about 15 miles west of Missoula just off the I-90. The entire park covers 41 acres. The park is day use only with no camping available.
On a hot day in the summer it’s a perfect quick excursion for the kids to cool off and have water fun. Full of families and kids, the dock off the main parking lot seems to be the center of attention. Being Missoula, the kids often see friends or schoolmates in the water, hopefully with a water gun.
Frenchtown Pond is a great place to learn how to Stand-Up Paddleboard, or SUP as more commonly referred to. The waters are usually calm without big waves unless that surprise Montana storm rolls in. You can also bring your kayak, canoe, float tube and snorkeling gear.
In the winter Frenchtown Pond can be a great place for ice fishing as well. The Montana FWP often hosts ice fishing clinics to teach the basics to both kids and adults.
If you need a place to cool off while also getting the kids some exercise and away from their cell phones, Frenchtown Pond is the perfect spot.
For more information on Frenchtown Pond go here. To explore the rest of Montana’s 55 state parks, go here. If you want to help Montana State Parks become one of the best park systems in the nation, support the Montana State Parks Foundation.
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