Vandals trash the Whitefish Trail

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reports that vandals used guns and a chainsaw to damage signs and other infrastructure along the Whitefish Trail earlier this month.

Signs at the Woods Lake Trailhead northwest of Whitefish were shot and pulled from the ground using a vehicle, and the kiosk at the North Beaver connection area was cut down with a chainsaw.

The damage occurred sometime during the first week of April. Whitefish Legacy Partners retrieved all the signs and will make repairs in the coming weeks.

“We are aware that the creation of the Whitefish Trail in Beaver Lakes has changed some of the traditional recreation use in the area, and we anticipated there would be challenges,” the Legacy Partners said in their monthly newsletter. “Although it may take some time for people to accept the positive changes the trail brings, we hope vandalism will decrease in the coming years. Meanwhile, we are currently recruiting volunteers for Whitefish Trail Bike Patrol this coming season to be our eyes and ears on the trail.”

Anyone with any information on the vandalism is asked to call 1-800-TIP MONT. Callers do not have to identify themselves, and a reward may be available for information leading to a conviction.