Blue Mountain is the western landmark of the city of Missoula and is a popular recreational destination for folfing (disc golf) hiking, off-road motorcycling, horse riding, shooting and hunting. The mountain is generally covered with pine trees, with sufficient numbers of Blue Spruce

Blue Spruce

Picea pungens is a species of spruce native to western North America, from southeast Idaho and southwest Wyoming, south through Utah and Colorado to Arizona and New Mexico. It grows at high altitudes from altitude, though unlike Engelmann Spruce in the same area, it does not reach the alpine...

 to give the mountain a blue appearance in good sunlight.

The University of Montana Department of Physics and Astronomy maintains an observatory at the peak.

Notable features on Blue Mountain are a system of nature trails and old logging roads that cut across large portions of the mountain, an abandoned apple orchard, and the remains of some old, small, gravel pits on the back side that are part of the Blue Mountain Recreation Area

Mule deer

Mule Deer

The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...

, coyote

Coyote

The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...

s, black bear

American black bear

The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...

, grouse

Grouse

Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are sometimes considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae...

, wild turkey

Wild Turkey

The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...

s and other wild animals can be found without much effort across the entire mountain. The black bears are typically found foraging for apples in the abandoned orchard in the fall getting fat for the winter.