Moser Creek Loop

Length: 7.4-mile loop
Duration: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation Gain: 750 feet 
Activities: Hiking, mountain biking, trail running, cross-country skiing
Crowds: Moderate to heavy traffic

About
Up Hyalite Canyon, this loop follows its namesake creek, which is a tributary of Hyalite Creek. The loop takes you through dense pine, lodgepole, and aspen forests and wildflower meadows, and over the divide between the canyons into Bozeman Creek. Starting at the lower gate on Hyalite Canyon Rd., trek half a mile to a road fork (and the upper trailhead). Start the loop on the left and continue clockwise. About a mile in, pass through a gated road to the right. After 4 miles, you'll encounter a horseshoe bend; 100 yards past that is an unmarked footpath to your right. Take that trail back instead of the road. Carry bear spray.

Seasonal Conditions
This trail is accessible year-round, and it's a popular Nordic ski spot in the winter. 

Directions
Drive south on S. 19th Rd., and turn left onto Hyalite Canyon Rd. Continue for 6 miles to an unpaved road on the left. Turn left to park by the lower gate.

Map courtesy of Robert Stone's Day Hikes Around Bozeman, Montana.