This Land is Your Land

Bozeman Ranger District dispatch.

In Bozeman, public lands are right outside your back door in any given direction—they’re one of the reasons we love living here. The Bozeman Ranger District alone has over 900 miles of trails, ten campgrounds, ten rental cabins, and numerous day-use facilities. The “M” Trail, Hyalite Canyon, Sourdough Canyon, Bridger Bowl, and the Lee Metcalf Wilderness are all local, accessible favorites.

Each year, the Bozeman Ranger District relies on the hard work of organizations such as Friends of Hyalite, Backcountry Horsemen, Gallatin Valley Snowmobile Association, Bridger Ski Foundation, the Dirt Concern, and Wilderness Recreation Partnership to maintain hundreds of miles of trails, complete trail work, and lead summer maintenance projects.

Want to get involved? Visit West Side Gallatin Trails Alliance’s Facebook page for a complete list of partner organizations and upcoming events.

Events
Celebrate public lands in your community at the Longest Day of Wilderness, June 21 at Lindley Park—part of the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Festivities include fireside stories by Jack Gladstone, Leave No Trace skills contests, art activities for children, primitive tool demonstrations, and backcountry skills displays. Check out wilderness50th.org for other events across Montana.

Lodging
Reserve a cabin for your next family trip—the Forest Service has hundreds of cabins for rent—ten throughout the Bozeman Ranger District alone. Many of the cabins were built in the 1920s or 1930s to provide field quarters for forest rangers and crews. Today, your family and friends can rent this piece of history. Information and reservations for Forest Service cabins and campgrounds can be found at recreation.gov.

Safety
Be bear-aware, and stay prepared to enjoy public lands safely. Whether you’re going for a trail run, a Sunday drive, or an extended backpacking trip, know the conditions before you go. Carry bear spray and have it readily available, and pack essentials for your trip.

To learn more about conditions, construction projects, and summer activities, call the Bozeman Ranger District at 522-2520 or check them out online.

Wendi Urie is the recreation program manager for the Bozeman Ranger District of the Gallatin National Forest.