Creston
Plan Your Visit
Open to the public, Creston National Fish Hatchery is in the beautiful Flathead Valley approximately 15 miles east of Kalispell and 36 miles south of Glacier National Park. The hatchery sits at the base of the Swan Mountain Range and is surrounded by prime agricultural farmland which provides a picturesque setting for raising fish and providing educational opportunities on the forested grounds.
Creston is open year-round, seven days a week, from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Visitors are welcome to the hatchery for a close-up view of the fish production process. With over 5,000 visitors annually, the staff at the hatchery will gladly be available to answer your questions. Self-guided tours of the hatchery are welcomed and encouraged. Visitors are invited to walk around the raceways where most of the larger trout are held and visit the hatchery building where eggs and small fish are hatched and reared.
The hatchery invites you to hike the nature trail which was built with the help of two Eagle Scouts. Interpretive signs along the trail will guide you. There is a handicap accessible trail to an overlook of Mill Creek and the Hatchery below. An amphitheater by the creek is used as an outdoor classroom by local schools. Pick up a trail brochure and learn about the many wonders of nature here at the Creston hatchery.
A beautiful multi-use pavilion is also available for educational and family events. The pavilion is adjacent to an Arbor Day Foundation sponsored “Nature Explore!” outdoor classroom. Also, a wildlife viewing blind built with help from Ducks Unlimited, is available for your viewing pleasure.
Staff-guided tours are available upon advanced request and can be arranged by calling the office at (406) 758-6868. Educational programs and tours are provided for the public and school groups when scheduled in advance by calling the same number.
Featured Species
Get Involved
The Creston Hatchery Friends Group built, and Home Depot Volunteers planted, a new pollinator garden at the Hatchery in 2013. Creston also has a sign on the Nature Trail (one of 13) to remind children and adults that “Pollinators” are in Peril along with the trail brochure that informs you how you can help by protecting and creating a diverse array of pollinators with a friendly habitat by choosing plants that flower at different time of the growing season. During our school tours, emphasis at this station is placed on discussing student’s preconceived knowledge of pollinators.Numerous educational opportunities are available throughout the year for schools, clubs, civic groups and the general public.
Services
Recent upgrades to the original historical facility have included the reconstruction of the Jessup Mill Pond Dam, new water treatment facilities, renovation of the historic hatchery building, a nature trail, a streamside amphitheater, a multi-use pavilion, and an Arbor Day Foundation Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom.
About
Established in 1939, Creston National Fish Hatchery originally provided fingerling trout for Glacier National Park. Today, the hatchery manages five main objectives including Tribal Trust stockings, mitigation for the Hungry Horse Dam, and native fish restoration. Over its history, the program has evolved through several eras, including developing the first bull trout broodstock propagation program in the National Fish Hatchery System.
