Placid Lake State Park

Placid Lake State Park
Sunset over Placid Lake
Location in Montana
Location	Missoula County, Montana, United States
Nearest city	Missoula, Montana
Coordinates	47°07′11″N 113°30′10″W
Area	31 acres (13 ha)[1]
Elevation	4,124 ft (1,257 m)[2]
Designation	Montana state park
Established	1977[3]
Visitors	60,579 (in 2023)[4]
Administrator	Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Website	Placid Lake State Park

Placid Lake State Park is a public recreation area located 28 miles (45 km) northeast of Missoula, Montana. The state park sits on 31 acres (13 ha) at the eastern end of Placid Lake that include the lake's outlet to Owl Creek, a tributary of the Clearwater River. The park is known for its scenery, camping, aquatic recreation, and fishing.[1]

History

Placid Lake was named after the Adirondack Mountains' Lake Placid by Hiram Blanchard, a New Yorker who moved to the area in 1892 to form the Clearwater Land and Livestock Company.[5] A dam was completed below the lake's Owl Creek outlet in 1972,[6] and the park was created in 1977.[3]

Activities and amenities

Park facilities include a swimming area, campsites, and boat launch.[1][7] The park offers an opportunity to view rednecked grebes, ospreys, common loons, and other species of waterfowl.[8]

References

1. "Placid Lake State Park". Montana State Parks. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
2. "Placid Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
3. "Park Origin by Date". Montana State Parks. 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
4. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (May 6, 2024). "2023 Montana State Parks Annual Visitation Report" (PDF). fwp.mt.gov. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
5. Rich Aarstad; et al. (2009). Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman. Helena, Montana: Montana Historical Society Press. p. 207. ISBN 978-0-9759196-1-3. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
6. "Placid Lake Vacation and Resort Properties". FindLakes. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
7. "Seeley Lake Area Recreation Opportunities" (PDF). United States Forest Service. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
8. "Montana State Parks Guide". Montana State Parks. 2014. p. 20. Retrieved May 25, 2018.

External links

• Placid Lake State Park Montana State Parks
• Placid Lake State Park Map Montana State Parks