News & Notes: Fall 2025

The skinny on the happenings around southwest Montana.

SHORT STUFF
Next time you’re in West Yellowstone, mosey on over to the west side of town, where a new trail awaits. It’s called the Yellowstone Shortline Trail, and it’s a flat, peaceful, nine-mile route that follows the historic Oregon Short Line Railroad from Iris Street to the Idaho border. Along with several benches and pavilions for repose and refueling, there are interpretive signs offering historical and cultural information. What’s more, the new trail is a critical link in the larger Greater Yellowstone Trail, helping to connect West Yellowstone to Jackson Hole. —Georgia Bobo

ACCESS FOR ALL
When you think of Sunset Hills, you likely imagine the freshly groomed Nordic trails maintained by the Bridger Ski Foundation. But now, thanks to the Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT), Sunset Hills is set to shine year-round. On July 17, GVLT officially cut the ribbon, opening the Sunset Hills All-Abilities Trails Projects to outdoorsfolk of all ages and abilities.

The project’s central mission was to create an inclusive outdoor space, and the final result reflects just that. The new trail system incorporates a variety of surfaces—from smooth pavement to off-road gravel—making it great for walkers, wheelchair users, and those using adaptive bikes or mobility aids. With easy to moderate terrain, the area is also an efficient training ground for beginner bikers to hone their skills before taking on more strenuous and consequential trails.

Importantly, the new trails connect to some of Bozeman’s most beloved paths, including Burke Park, Peets Hill, Lindley Park, Highland Glen, and the Gallagator Trail. This addition not only expands recreational access and bolsters Bozeman’s already impressive trail network, it also demonstrates the community’s commitment to helping folks of all abilities enjoy the outdoors all year round. —Georgia Bobo

ZINKE GYRATES WITH GYREAT
After some dubious dealings as Secretary of the Interior, Montana’s homegrown congressman, Ryan Zinke, has come full-circle, returning to his roots and fighting to protect his home state’s natural beauty. In late July, the Bozeman-born, Whitefish-raised legislator introduced a bill that aims to preserve nearly 100 miles of local waterways. The Greater Yellowstone Recreation Enhancement and Tourism (GYREAT) Act would add stretches of the Madison & Gallatin rivers and Hyalite & Cabin creeks to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System—a program created by Congress in 1968 to protect rivers with “outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values” for future generations. The bill—which would designate roughly 42 miles of the Madison River, 39 miles of the Gallatin River, 5 miles of Hyalite Creek, and 7 miles of Cabin Creek—would preserve public access, facilitate maintenance of existing infrastructure, allow emergency transportation, respect private property rights, and permit historical uses to persist. Zinke says that the bill aims to balance conservation with recreational & commercial uses of the river—including agriculture, power-generation, and tourism. Both the Madison and Gallatin county commissions have expressed strong bipartisan support for the legislation, and leaders from several conservation groups, including the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and the Gallatin River Task Force, have spoken in its favor. At press time, the GYREAT Act (HR 4870) was being examined by the House Natural Resources Committee, and hopefully it won’t be long before it reaches the full House for a vote. Fingers crossed. —Leah Veress