A filterable map and list of hikes, rides, floats, and campsites around Bozeman, Montana.
Classic Bozeman IMBA Epic ridgeline singletrack with views of the Bridgers and Crazies. ~23 mi point-to-point.
Tier 3 — designated dispersed above Quake Lake. Sites up the drainage in dramatic country near the 1959 earthquake slide, with the Madison below.
Hebgen Lake district = designated signed sites only, 16-day limit. Call the district for the current designated-camping map: (406) 823-6961. Bear country: food-storage order in effect.
Map pin is approximate.
Lift-served downhill at Big Sky Resort.
Descent / connector ride from the mountain down to Meadow Village.
For a window each spring (roughly late April–June, varies with plowing) Going-to-the-Sun Road is plowed but still closed to cars — cyclists ride it car-free. A brief fall window also opens after the alpine section closes to vehicles (~mid-October) before snow.
Each spring there's a short window (typically late March–mid April, before roads open to cars ~April 17) when a ~49-mile stretch of road from the West Entrance through Madison, Norris, and on to Mammoth is open to bikes but closed to vehicles. A similar quiet window happens in fall after roads close to cars (early November).
When the upper Hyalite Canyon road is gated shut for the season, ride the empty pavement up to Hyalite Reservoir and camp — no cars, quiet canyon.
Big single-day point-to-point along the Bridger crest (the classic "Ridge Run" line). Best attempted once snow has cleared.
Tier 4 — free riverside basecamp (established BLM). On the Yellowstone near the Tom Miner turnoff, ~30 min from Gardiner and Yellowstone's north entrance. Bear boxes, spaced sites, boat ramp. Great float take-out basecamp.
Right off Hwy 89 and extremely busy in season — treat it as a launchpad, not a solitude play.
Mellow float in Paradise Valley / near Livingston.
SUP times are rough and very flow-dependent — paddleboards drift slower than drift boats, and these are best at lower late-summer flows. Avoid the pushy May–June runoff.
All access points are FWP Fishing Access Sites with parking/ramps. Set a car shuttle between put-in and take-out.
Map pin is approximate.
Lift-served / mountain biking at Discovery (Georgetown Lake area). ~2.5 hr from Bozeman, so a long day trip or an easy overnight.
Tier 3 — quieter still than West Boulder. Tiny free two-site Forest Service camp right on the river (first-come), plus informal pull-offs. Green Mountain Trail across the road hikes to the Natural Bridge. Vault toilet, no water. Arrive early on weekends.
Bear country: food-storage order in effect — hard-sided vehicle or bear box.
Low-elevation Bridger-foothills trail on the west side of Bridger Canyon (Custer Gallatin NF, #528) — multi-use (bike/foot/horse) and dries out early.
Big backcountry loop on Buck Ridge south of Big Sky, linking the two Yellow Mule creek drainages — a Big Sky Biggie race feature.
5 Hours drive to this area. There is dispersed camping along the river and multiple sections to float
River Beta: Flathead, Middle Fork – 5. West Glacier to Blankenship Bridge | American Whitewater
Camping Beta: Camper-Submitted Photos of Blankenship Bridge - Dispersed Camping
Classic Gallatin Canyon climb to the 1930 fire lookout on Garnet Mountain (8,245 ft) — 360° views of the Spanish Peaks, Gallatin Range, and Hyalite Ridge.
Route options
Logistics
Steep, technical descent-focused ride in the Goose Creek / Chestnut Mountain area SE of Bozeman (near Bozeman Pass / Trail Creek).
Map pin is approximate.
Tier 2 — scenic ridge traverse, camp high with panoramic views. The scenic ridge out of the upper Madison — dispersed pull-offs along the way, up around a ~9,000 ft ridgeline with enormous views over the Madison Valley. Best July–Sept (dries out late).
Road becomes impassable when wet; high clearance strongly recommended — don't commit if weather's rolling in. Bear country: food-storage order in effect.
Before you go: check road/fire alerts and download offline maps — cell dies past the highway.
Hyalite Canyon — works as an overnight or a long day to the lakes/waterfalls.
502-acre state park north of Anaconda, tucked under grey limestone and multi-coloured cliffs that rise 1,200 ft off the canyon floor. Lost Creek Falls drops 50 ft at the end of a 0.1-mile walk — one of the highest reward-per-effort stops in the state.
Tier 1 — the other Taylor Fork analog. Off Hwy 298 south of Big Timber. Past Natural Bridge Falls the road pushes ~25 mi deep into the Absaroka-Beartooth front — many dispersed spots on Forest Service land along the road and river, interspersed with a few private inholdings and half a dozen small developed campgrounds. Rutted and slow; plan to crawl. Blue-ribbon fishing (native Yellowstone cutthroat) the whole length. No camping at the Natural Bridge site itself.
Bear country: food-storage order in effect — hard-sided vehicle or bear box. Watch for private inholdings; camp only on FS land.
Before you go: check road/fire alerts (Custer Gallatin) and download offline maps — cell dies past the highway.
Tier 3 — Paradise Valley. Dispersed sites up-canyon (FR 486) into the Absarokas, with Emigrant Peak views on the drive in. Pairs perfectly with a Yellowstone River float shuttle. Snow Bank & Pine Creek areas nearby.
Bear country: food-storage order in effect — hard-sided vehicle or bear box.
Singletrack-and-doubletrack loop in the Hyalite / Bozeman Creek foothills just south of town — a quick after-work spin.
Steep out-and-back to the summit of Baldy (~8,914 ft) at the south end of the Bridgers — a big, exposed climb straight up from the M.
Machine-built flow loop just south of Big Sky — bermed corners and rolling features on a mellow 3-mile lap. The climb is beginner-friendly; the descent is the intermediate half.
Map pin is approximate.
Gentle overnight up the Bozeman Creek (Sourdough) drainage to Mystic Lake — an old logging road with an easy grade, popular with bikers and hikers.
Old-school Taylor Fork backcountry loop south of Big Sky (Little Wapiti–Pika Point Loop, ~15.8 mi, rated Difficult on MTB Project). Pika Point tops out ~9,500 ft on the north end of Wapiti Ridge with big views of the Taylor-Hilgards.
Route
Logistics
Easy out-and-back up a red-rock canyon on the north side of Hebgen Lake, ending where the Red Canyon Creek hiking trail begins. Rolling grass hills, pine, and views of the rock face of Kirkwood Ridge.
Tier 3 — a handful of designated dispersed sites (3–4) on Hebgen's west shore. Off a signed road ~2 mi past Lonesomehurst Campground. Quiet, creek nearby, good for a car/van/truck-camper.
No RVs/big trailers (rough, low branches, no turnarounds). Hebgen district = designated signed sites only, 16-day limit. Bear country: food-storage order in effect.
Map pin is approximate.
Tier 2 — best under-2-hour option nobody talks about. Off the beaten path (FR 107) into the Tobacco Roots past Mammoth toward the Curly Lake / Louise Lake trailheads — dispersed camping along the dirt road a mile or so past the old townsite. Granite peaks, alpine lakes, and MTB access; far quieter than anything in the Gallatin.
Bear country: food-storage order in effect — hard-sided vehicle or bear box.
Before you go: check road/fire alerts and download offline maps — cell dies past the highway.
Tier 3 — highest privacy-per-mile for a fast escape (~20 min from the edge of town). Off Hwy 86 via Brackett Creek Rd in the Bridgers. Fire rings at most sites, quiet road, peaks that go pink/purple at sunrise. Better, more secluded spots are ~5 mi up where 4WD is recommended. Puts you at the Bangtail Divide / Shafthouse trailheads.
Black bears in the area — food storage still applies.
Tier 1 — the archetype "drive a valley, pick a pull-off" corridor. Runs ~11 mi up a wide valley off US 191 south of Big Sky, alongside Taylor Creek. Multiple established (requires established campsite use) pull-offs with fire rings, spaced far enough apart that you're not on top of neighbors — mountain views and creek access without the campground feel. Some sites have old wooden horse corrals; a primitive toilet sits along the road. Works for a car/van — bring levelers.
Serious grizzly country (backs onto Yellowstone). Forest-wide food-storage order in effect: store food in a hard-sided vehicle or bear box. Gallatin Canyon (US 191): no dispersed camping within ½ mile of the highway May 15–Sep 15 — always drive up the side road.
Before you go: check road/fire alerts (Custer Gallatin) and download offline maps — cell service dies past the highway.
Tier 3 — upper Paradise Valley, famous for evening grizzly-watching (bring binoculars/scope). Stunning basin; limited dispersed camping plus a small campground and the Petrified Forest trailhead at the end.
Active grizzly area — be dialed on food storage (hard-sided vehicle or bear box). Road is rough gravel and runs through private property — don't follow GPS to the very end; stay on Tom Miner Creek Rd.
Classic multi-day loop deep in the Crazy Mountains, linking Trespass Creek, Sweet Grass Creek, and the Cottonwood Lake drainage past waterfalls, alpine lakes, and Grasshopper Glacier.
Tier 2 — deep-solitude sleeper. Via Alder/Sheridan. Designated dispersed sites only along this stretch of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge — grassy river-bottom sites with rock fire rings and horse tie-rails, along the Upper Ruby in the Snowcrest/Gravelly country. Lightly used; you'll likely have it to yourself.
16-day stay limit (Beaverhead-Deerlodge), no facilities. Designated sites only. Bear country: food-storage order in effect.
Before you go: check road/fire alerts and download offline maps — cell dies past the highway.
Map pin is approximate.
Tier 3 — gorgeous meadows hike right from camp (~6 mi round trip). Gravel road via McLeod/Swingley Rd ending at the West Boulder trailhead and campground on the edge of the Absaroka-Beartooth. Small free/low-cost campground plus informal spots; rough road but worth it.
Grizzly seen near the campground — stay sharp; food-storage order in effect.
Tier 1 — closest Taylor Fork analog in the Madison drainage. Dispersed sites up the West Fork drainage on the flank of the Gravellys, with the blue-ribbon Madison at the bottom of the valley and the Lee Metcalf Wilderness ~2 mi west. Quiet, fishing-focused, big open country.
Bear country: food-storage order in effect — hard-sided vehicle or bear box.
Before you go: check road/fire alerts (Custer Gallatin) and download offline maps — cell dies past the highway.
Whitefish Mountain Resort bike park — far enough that it's worth an overnight or long-weekend trip.
No adventures match these filters.
38 of 38 adventures have a location. Pins are coloured by primary activity and follow the filters above.