Missoula, Mont. — A free shuttle in Missoula is again helping people reach popular access points along the Clark Fork River during the summer season.

The University of Montana ran the UDASH River Shuttle from Campus Drive near the Outdoor Program building. The route included the Sha-Ron access point and Milltown State Park.

Free parking was available for riders. River ambassadors were also on site to promote safety and responsible recreation practices.

At Milltown State Park, one of the shuttle stops, the scene showed people heading out to enjoy the water and summer weather.

The service ran Thursdays through Sundays starting Thursday, June 25 and continuing through Saturday, July 26. Riders looking for shuttle details or campus information may want a link here to the University of Montana.

University of Montana officials said the goal was to keep the service going as long as people continued using it. They also said residents had supported the shuttle and used it over the years.

“We hope to continue this in the future. In as many years as the need is there people are excited to have an easy access - no cost option. It also, people have a safe option if you choose to consume beverages on the river. And then we're not worrying about, you know, trying to figure out how to get back to our car at the put in people generally been very supportive and utilized it,” said Vickie Rectenwald with the University of Montana.

The shuttle itself was free, but river users ages 12 and older still needed a valid Montana conservation license to use most state river access sites. Readers looking for license information may want a link here to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Those licenses were available online through Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks or at FWP offices across the state.