New Helena guidebook maps 52 day hikes for locals

A new guidebook collecting 52 day hikes around the Helena area was published Jan. 11, offering residents a single, practical resource for planning outings across skill levels. The book covers short, family-friendly walks as well as longer, more technical routes, and includes directions, distances, estimated times and difficulty ratings that matter for safety and trip planning.

Author Jannis LeBlanc drew on long experience exploring trails near Helena to assemble the book, which also flags seasonal considerations such as whether routes are dog-friendly and whether they are suitable for cross-country skiing in winter. Practical details such as parking notes and recommended gear aim to help both newcomers and longtime residents find appropriate hikes, discover lesser-known local routes, and plan safer outings in variable conditions.

For Lewis and Clark County, a locally focused guide of this scope has real implications for trail use, access and public services. Clear trailhead directions and parking notes can reduce confusion at popular access points, but highlighting many routes may also increase visitation to smaller trailheads that see less regular maintenance. Municipal and county planners, trail stewards and volunteer groups may need to anticipate shifts in parking demand, signage needs and basic maintenance on popular winter and summer routes.

The guide’s inclusion of seasonal and dog-friendly information is particularly useful during Helena’s shoulder seasons, when low-elevation hikes can offer year-round access and higher terrain requires winter gear. Visitors and families seeking accessible winter routes will find it easier to match conditions to skills, which could reduce strain on first-responder resources tied to ill-equipped hikers. At the same time, promoting lesser-known trails raises questions about equitable access and the capacity of trail systems that depend on informal stewardship and volunteer maintenance.

Local recreation groups, parks administrators and land managers can use the book as a practical inventory to coordinate signage, parking enforcement and outreach about safe winter travel and low-impact recreation. Residents planning hikes should note the guide’s practical tips—pay attention to difficulty ratings, plan for parking limitations, and carry recommended equipment appropriate to seasonal conditions.

The takeaway? A compact, locally sourced trail compendium like this makes it easier to get outside while also nudging the community to manage the consequences: match routes to skills, plan for parking and winter conditions, and consider pitching in with trail stewardship so the next family outing doesn’t mean a problem for neighbors. Our two cents? Use the book to explore responsibly and help keep Helena’s trails open and welcoming for everyone.