The Pattee Canyon Picnic Area offers family picnic sites available for free, along with three group picnic sites available by reservation. The picnic area is open July 1 through Labor Day.The Pattee Canyon Recreation Area is a popular spot for day hikes, mountain biking, horseback riding and picnicking. There are several trailheads in the area. Cross-country skiing is popular in the area during winter months. The picnic area offers several individual- and group-sized picnic sites. The roads are paved and the group sites have trash collection receptacles and accessible vault toilets. Drinking water is not available at the picnic area. A host may be on-site during summer months. Set in a wooded canyon east of Missoula, at 4,100 feet, the picnic site is pleasantly shaded by large ponderosa pine trees.Pattee Canyon Picnic Area is located four miles southeast of Missoula.