Council Grove State Park, State park in Missoula County, United States.
Council Grove State Park is a forested area near Missoula with stands of mature ponderosa pines, grassy open areas, and cottonwoods growing along the Clark Fork River. The park covers roughly 187 acres and includes about 1.5 miles of riverfront where the water has naturally carved out sandy beach-like banks.
The Hellgate Treaty was signed at this site on July 16, 1855, between representatives of the United States government and members of the Bitterroot Salish, Pend d'Oreille and Kootenai peoples. The agreement created the Flathead Indian Reservation. A monument in the park commemorates the signing.
The Salish name Člmé, "Tree Limb Cut Off," also Ncx̣͏ʷotew̓s, marks this as a Salish site where the Hellgate treaty was signed on July 16, 1855, creating the Flathead Indian Reservation. A monument at the park commemorates that signing by US representatives and the Bitterroot Salish, Pend d'Oreille and Kootenai.
The park is easy to reach by car and provides plenty of space for walking and exploring among the trees and open areas. You can stroll along the riverfront, and the terrain is generally gentle with no steep sections to navigate.
The smooth, curved sandy banks along the river were created through natural erosion and now form small beach-like areas in an otherwise forested setting. This unexpected shoreline within the woods is a feature that catches many visitors off guard.
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