Belgrade Regional Parks, Trails, & Recreation District

Thank you to all who attended the Park District Master Plan Open House on November 14, 2024!

Want to learn more about The Parks District? Check out the Clearly Wednesday Session from July:

Click here to view The Belgrade Regional Parks, Trail and Recreation District Master Plan Meeting from Wednesday, July 31 , 2024

The meeting features the Parks & Recreation Director for the City of Belgrade, Steve Klotz, and the consultant team, to learn more about the background of Parks & Recreation in Belgrade, the Parks District Master plan, and what to expect through the master planning process.

What is the District?

In recent surveys, the greater Belgrade area has shown continued interest in improving parks, trails, and recreation. Rapid growth and an increasing population has caused high impacts on park and recreation use, prompting a need for strategic planning, programming, funding, development, and maintenance. In 2023, voters approved a District that will generate funds for park, trail, and recreation facilities and programs. District revenue will also fund adequate staff and equipment for park maintenance. Generating approximately $1.5 million in 2024, the District is taking its first steps in establishing a vision and initial projects based on community input. The District boundary follows the Belgrade School District #44 footprint, which encompasses the entire City of Belgrade and portions of the Gallatin River, East Gallatin River, and the Bridger Range in Gallatin County. Covering acres of urban, agricultural, and natural open spaces, the District has a variety of resources to offer. Moving forward, we need input from District residents on how to shape the future of parks, trails, and recreation!

Preliminary Vision

The District is large, containing a range of population densities, diverse natural recreation opportunities, and varying levels of development. These unique characteristics should be considered when organizing the main points of the initial vision. Preliminary focus areas include:

• Invest in existing parks and recreation facilities to improve and maintain the quality of the user experience
• Design parks, trails, and recreation around needs of residents and families that live in the District
• Offer a variety of park and recreation spaces, stretching from fully developed to protected open land
• Implement and maintain a network of trails and parks, linking the City of Belgrade to river and mountain destinations
• Fulfill community needs for athletic facilities, recreation programs, and trails
• Respond to future generations through continual public outreach, local partnerships, and strategic planning

Goals and objectives are specific items to achieve the overall vision, which will primarily result from community outreach during 2024.

How can I be involved in the master plan process?

We need your help - what projects should the District focus on first? Public input will be used to guide the creation of the District's goals and objectives, prioritizing the first steps in how revenue is spent. Proposed work master planned in the District is in conjunction with the Clearly Belgrade planning effort.