Introducing the Skye Fund for Accessible Parks

Proceeds from Wildlands Festival and the Pinky and the Flloyd Music in the Mountains Concert will help establish the Skye Fund for Accessible Parks, a permanent fund supporting accessibility improvements throughout Montana’s state park system.

The fund honors Skye Swenson, a beloved member of the Big Sky community whose joyful spirit and love of outdoor adventure continue to inspire this work.

Skye experienced the outdoors with the support of her family and community regardless of the challenges she faced. She loved sit-skiing with Eagle Mount, racing down snowy trails in an adapted toboggan, and exploring Yellowstone’s boardwalks and trails in her running stroller. Her laughter, especially when the trail became fast, bumpy, or unexpected, became one of the lasting memories she shared with those around her.

Skye’s experiences also showed how universal design, adaptive equipment, and community support can transform access to the outdoors. The Skye Fund will carry that legacy forward by helping more children, families, veterans, and visitors of all abilities experience the joy, connection, and belonging found in Montana’s state parks.

"We learned humor in the face of adversity, how to cherish the smallest achievements in life, and how to smile in the midst of pain. She taught us patience when answers were not immediately apparent, to search out new ways of interacting with people who at first did not understand her, and how to fight for her to give her a voice in the world."

—The Swenson Family