This July 4 weekend remember to check the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks website at fwp.mt.gov-Montana’s headquarters for recreational information on fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing.

With the state’s recent extreme weather, even experienced recreators will want to check fwp.mt.gov for any closures and restrictions before setting out for the holiday weekend.

Boaters anxious to plan an outing after being beached by high water and flooding can link to water sports information on the Recreation page under Activities. Read about some of Montana’s premier waters–Smith River in central Montana, Alberton Gorge on the lower Clark Fork and the 26-mile lower Blackfoot River recreation corridor with its classic trout habitat. Or, click on a series of symbols on the bottom left of the Activities page to review Montana’s boating laws, safety, education, required permits and more. Maps, regulations, and site locators are there to help make planning a breeze.

Other featured recreational opportunities include horseback riding, OHV contacts, and how to find a nearby shooting range. Suggestions for hiking and walking trails, backcountry camping and geocaching are also available-as are plentiful links to more information and how to connect to those who have similar interests.

The ethics page fills in the gaps on leave no trace front and back country practices, river recreation, and ethical practices to employ when bird watching, photographing wildlife, OHV and hiking trails and heritage sights.

And remember, for safety’s sake, check the restrictions, closures and reopening news, which appears on the home page in read, for information on current conditions.