by the editors

It’s impossible, even in a lifetime of living in Bozeman, to do it all. That being said, there are a few must-dos to tick off as soon as possible, for a proper enrollment into the outdoor life of the Bozone. Here’s a starter list to accelerate your initiation.

Spring/Summer
Hike the M

Bike to Mystic Lake

Run whitewater on the Gallatin

Rock climb at Practice Rock

Join the bikini hatch on the Madison River

Catch a trout on the Yellowstone

Hike, run, or ride the Main Street to the Mountains trails

Enter a classic local trail race (Baldy Blitz, Bridger Trail Run, Ridge Run, etc.)

Fall/Winter
Hunt elk in the mountains

Stay in a backcountry cabin or yurt

Soak in the Boiling River

Sled down Peets Hill

Cross-country ski in Hyalite

Ski the Ridge at Bridger Bowl

Ride the Big Sky tram up Lone Peak

by Cordelia Pryor

Although you may not be a longtime local, while you’re in Bozeman, you’re part of this community. What better way to say thanks than to volunteer your time at local nonprofits? Throughout the year, they need your help doing the important, altruistic work that they do. Whatever gets you out there, remember there are few better feelings than contributing to a cause that’s making a difference.

Cleanup Days
At different points throughout the year, local groups get together to tidy our trails, clean our rivers, and keep Bozeman beautiful. Give back by joining them and learn about proper outdoor etiquette while you’re out there. Friends of Hyalite hosts two cleanup days—one in the spring, one in the fall—to tidy Bozeman’s backyard playground. The Gallatin River Weed Pull keeps our valley’s namesake river clean, and Cleanup Bozeman is a city-centered service day before summer. Poke around the internet to learn more.

Big Sky Youth Empowerment
BSYE pairs mentors with 8th- through 12th-graders to participate in activities such as skiing, rock-climbing, and hiking to build confidence, create connections, and teach teens how to overcome challenges in both the outdoors and their own lives. By becoming a mentor, you’ll provide a role model for young people as they navigate life’s sometimes-muddy waters.

Eagle Mount
Eagle Mount is another powerful organization right here in Bozeman that has made a huge impact. Every year, more than 2,000 volunteers serve over 1,700 youth participants who are disabled or battling cancer. Volunteering for Eagle Mount gives you the opportunity to empower young people who otherwise might not have opportunities to ski, horseback ride, or otherwise spend time under Montana’s big sky.

Gallatin Valley Land Trust
Our public lands get plenty of use, which means they need a little TLC from time to time. Every spring, the Gallatin Valley Land Trust hosts maintenance days on the in-town trails to prep them for the long summer ahead. And every summer during the Trail Challenge, Bozemanites take to the trails and log miles, each one donating real money to GVLT and its mission.

Warriors and Quiet Waters
At Quiet Waters Ranch, volunteers aid post-9/11 combat veterans and their families, military caregivers, and active-duty special-operations personnel. By eliminating physical barriers, they promote healing and resilience through participation in a therapeutic fly-fishing experience.

DIY
Acts of service don’t have to be big or even organized, really. One of the best things you can do for our community is small acts of TLC around town and on the trails. If you see trash, pick it up. Reassure a nervous or exhausted hiker, help a fellow biker fix his chain, pull a stuck vehicle out of the ditch. One of the things that makes Bozeman so great is the people—you’re one of us now, so take that seriously.

by Jamie Rankin

Welcome to Bozeman, where the human-to-hound ratio seems to be 1:1. Bozeman is well-equipped with plenty of places to get you and your dog outside together. So tell your furry friend to load up, grab some treats and poop bags, and head to some of the area’s best dog-friendly spots. 

Off-Leash Dog Parks
Snowfill Recreation Area has over two miles of trails to explore, all contained within the fences of the park. It’s Bozeman’s largest dog park, with benches, a water station, restrooms, and hills to get your pup’s heart pumping. Snowfill sits at the base of the Bridgers, so the views are great throughout the area.

Head to Gallatin Regional Park on the west side of town for another dog park with lots of space for both human and canine to exercise. A trail loops around the perimeter, so you can walk laps while Bridger explores and says hello to new friends. You’ll find open fields, a swimming pond, and a creek flowing through. Make sure your car is prepared for muddy paws.

Maxi Park is located right outside of Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter. Closer to Belgrade, this park takes a few extra minutes to drive to, but Luna will thank you as she runs around the 15-acre, fenced-in plot.

Dog-Friendly Parks
Cooper Park sits between MSU and downtown Bozeman. Off-leash dogs are allowed here, but be mindful of other folks having picnics, playing yard games, or visiting the park without a four-legged sidekick. There are benches, picnic tables, a drinking fountain, and garbage cans.

Peets Hill sees foot traffic from just about every resident and hound in Bozeman. This is a great spot to get a quick hike in without leaving town. It’s less than a mile to the top, and you’ll be rewarded with a 360-degree view of Bozeman and the surrounding mountains.

Trails
If you’re looking to explore beyond the fences of town, check out Drinking Horse, Sourdough, or Lava Lake for off-leash opportunities galore. These popular hikes offer beautiful views and the peace of mind that people expect to see dogs around every corner.

Etiquette
One could argue Bozeman’s trusty canines are better behaved than some of the town’s anthropoid newcomers. You’ll likely see off-leash dogs on just about every trail in Bozeman (regardless of the official rules), so use discretion when deciding if Max can run free. Be considerate to bikers and runners during the warmer months, skiers in the cooler months, and wildlife year-round. If your dog often leaves your sight or doesn’t join you after the first or second “come” command, it’s probably best use a leash for now.

Don’t be surprised if you get scolded by another human for not picking up Lily’s poop—or even worse, leaving a bag on the side of the trail. Pack an extra bag to conceal the smell and take it with you. If that’s too much to ask, fling it off into the woods away from the trail, without wrapping it in plastic. Better yet, train her to go well away from the trail in the first place.

by Teddy Banker

In this day and age, you can find just about anything on the internet—apart from a real-life, genuine outdoor experience, that is. But to point you in the right direction before an outing, or to get reports on recent conditions, or even to buy and sell gear, there’s an online group for each of our favorite activities. For a small sampling, check out these on Facebook, and head to bluelightguide.com for more beta.

Hiking Bozeman Forum
This large group of active Bozemanites is all about trail conditions and pertinent information about hikes. You’ll find suggestions of popular trails and hidden gems, along with frequent lost-and-found postings. With over 13,000 members, this online assemblage will help you find the right path.

Bozeman Trail Running
This is a home for runners to discuss trail conditions, events, and races, and to find running partners as well. Note: this group doesn’t buy or sell gear. If you’re looking for other ladies to run with, check out Lady Runners: Bozeman for a supportive and inviting community.

Bozeman Backcountry
Throw a pebble on Main Street on a Saturday with no new snow at Bridger, and odds are you’ll hit a skier. And navigating such a big community can be difficult. But with this group, people of all skill levels can connect with fellow skiers and boarders. For gear sales, check out the Bozeman Ski Gear Buy/Sell/Trade group.

Bozeman Whitewater
If you’re a whitewater enthusiast, joining this group is a must. With 1,600 members and lots of activity, this group makes it easy to buy and sell gear, coordinate trips and shuttles, and get in the loop on events. 

Montana Fly Fishing
This is an all-purpose angling group. You’ll find lots of photos of proud catches, inquiries about hatches and fish activity, and even some buy-sell-trade posts for fishing gear.

Bozeman Area Climbing
Many crags surround Bozeman, making it a climber’s paradise. This group is great for finding climbing partners, buying and selling gear, coordinating trail-work efforts, and learning about ways to be more active in protecting the wilderness character of southwest Montana.

Southwest Montana Ice Conditions
Bozeman is home to an ice-climbing mecca: Hyalite Canyon. With hundreds of routes, Hyalite can be a difficult place to navigate. This active group of more than 3,000 members helps newbies and experts alike find climbing partners, see how ice in the region is forming, and shop for used gear from seasoned locals.

As Bozemanites, we have our pick of the litter when it comes to public-land access. If we feel like fishing, there are five rivers within an hour of Main Street. Hiking? We can see five ranges from our downtown office. Biking? Hundreds of miles of trail jet off from town into vast expanses of forest. But our crown jewel is Hyalite. The access is unparalleled, the sights unrivaled, and the recreation endless. And in order to keep it that way, it takes a little bit of chipping in. From everybody. Here’s how.

Pack It In, Pack It Out
There are no garbage services in Hyalite, meaning you should come out with just as much as you went in with, if not more. By all means, take advantage of the fire rings, campsites, and trailheads. But realize that this isn’t your bedroom, and Forest Service employees aren’t your servants. Pick up your trash.

Respect Other Users
Hyalite supports hikers, bikers, climbers, anglers, and campers. Whatever your passion, leave the judgment at home and realize that everyone enjoys nature differently. Bikers, slow down on busy trails and yield accordingly. Fly anglers, get off your high horse and acknowledge that some folks just want to spin-fish from a slow-moving boat with a motor.

Respect Wildlife
Even with all the human pressure, wildlife still abounds. Elk, deer, bear, coyote, and moose are all common, along a plethora of bird species—and most of the animals are pretty comfortable around people. Give them space, keep campgrounds clean, and obey speed limits.

Adhere to Regulations
Due to the high pressure, Hyalite has specific regulations to mitigate problems. The latest is a restriction on target shooting. The short of it: it ain’t legal. There are also timeshare regulations for specific trails, and some are closed to bikes and motorcycles certain days of the week. Another one to note is that Hyalite Canyon Road closes for a month in the spring. For all the beta (that means information), visit hyalite.org.

Become a Steward
Friends of Hyalite (FOH) is an all-volunteer nonprofit that raises awareness about the area’s current issues. They also pay for winter plowing of the road, which means the fun doesn’t stop once the snow flies. Donate some money, or if you’re broke, consider giving some time. FOH hosts cleanup days, and several local nonprofits organize trail-maintenance outings.

by Jack Taylor

When I first landed in Bozeman, I had boundless ambition to get out and explore, but no idea where to go. The immense volume of trails, hills, and mountains had my head spinning—how could I choose from so many options? To get a better lay of the land, I took up a job with Bozeman Parks & Recreation as a camp counselor, and learned an invaluable lesson: one doesn’t even need to leave Bozeman’s city limits to have an awesome adventure.

Bozeman’s Parks & Recreation department manages 77 parks and 67 miles of trails spanning 900 acres within city limits. You could spend years exploring these spaces and still make new discoveries every day, from the vibrant flowers of Langhor Gardens to the riffled streams of Story Mill Park and the beautiful winding trails linking it all together. With a dozen amped-up, curious kids in tow, I set off on a new journey every day. It wasn’t about logging miles or bagging peaks; it was about how much we could discover just by looking around. We built stick forts in the woods of Glen Lake Park, caught bluegill from the shores of Bozeman Pond, told ghost stories in the rain at Lindley Pavilion, and scaled climbing boulders all across town. I still go back to these places and let my imagination wander—it’s a way to relax, reflect, and draw inspiration, even if I just have an hour or less to get outside on a busy day.

In addition to self-led discovery of Bozeman’s outdoor spaces, Parks & Rec offers year-round activity programs for adults and kids alike. You can learn to swing dance or jam with musicians at Story Mansion, join organized leagues for badminton and pickleball, learn new skills like archery and ice skating, and even take free avalanche-awareness classes. Many Parks & Rec facilities are rentable and make great locations for birthday parties, family functions, cult meetings—whatever you’re into. As a bonus, the rental fees are reduced for Bozeman residents.

You can learn more about what Bozeman’s parks have to offer at bozeman.net/parks. Here, you’ll find a detailed, interactive map of all the city parks and trails maintained by the Gallatin Valley Land Trust. But take my word for it: the real joy comes in exploring these spaces with little direction or agenda. Ditch your phone and leave the fancy gear at home. Ride your bike or take a stroll and you’re bound to stumble on a park or trail before too long, and here, your Bozeman adventure begins.