Thompson Falls economy promotes tourism

This is the second article in a four-part series, which looks at how local economics are doing throughout Sanders County.

With the tourism season rapidly approaching, one community in Sanders County is trying to increase what it has to offer to those who choose to spend their vacation time in this part of Montana. The people of Thompson Falls have established a new trail system near the Clark Fork River in an effort to take advantage of an element of the local economy that Mayor Carla Parks called “critical.”

In 2010, 10.5 million visitors to Montana spent $2.5 billion. According to the Montana Department of Commerce, tourism is one of Montana’s leading industries and is a primary supply of revenue for the state. Tourism and recreation businesses support over 28,000 jobs and provide $785 million in worker salaries according to the MDC.

According to the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana, nonresident visitors spent $9.79 million in Sanders County in 2012. This was down slightly from 2011 but markedly higher than 2010 when nonresident visitors spent only $2.9 million in Sanders County.

According to the ITRR, Sanders County is part of the Glacier region that includes Lake, Glacier, Flathead, Missoula, Lincoln, Mineral and Ravalli counties. This region accounted for almost 24 percent of total nonresident visitor expenditures in 2012 in Montana.

Mayor Parks is hoping to tap into some of those tourism dollars and she is expecting the new trail system to help.

“One of the main reasons people come here is to enjoy the woods and the wilderness. This is another way for them to do that here. It makes people want to come back if they have a nice trail to walk on. It makes for repeat visitors,” said Parks.

Built with funds provided by Avista Corporation, a power company that owns several dams in the area, Pennsylvania Power and Light which owns the dam in Thompson Falls, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and a federally funded Recreational Trails Program grant, the two and a half mile trail was constructed by volunteers at little cost to local taxpayers.

Director of the Sanders County Community Development Corporation, Jim Rexhouse, said they consider the new trail system to be an important element in attracting tourism dollars to the area. Rexhouse said the SCCDC is looking at ways to generate funding to extend the trail even further connecting with the adjacent state park.

“I think it’s very important for economic development. Tourism remains an undeveloped resource in this area and we are looking at what our strategy should be to promote it,” said Rexhouse.

The new trail system starts at Power Park, winding along the Clark Fork River before looping around and heading back into town. Mayor Parks said that community enhancement projects such as the new trail system are critical to sustaining the local economy.

“It’s absolutely vital to local motels, hotels and eating establishments. It’s also important in that it introduces people to our area. The more people we can get to come to this area and who perceive it in a positive way as a warm and welcoming place, the more people will want to come back,” said Parks.