Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with a summit view that looks north into Bridger Canyon rather than south into the Gallatin
Valley, the trail is 1.6 miles to the summit and offers loop options.
South of town is another excellent recreation area,
Hyalite Canyon
(south on S. 19th
Ave. to Hyalite Canyon Rd.), one of the most popular in the state. There are excellent op-
portunities for boating on the reservoir, fishing in Hyalite Creek, and hiking on the various
trails, including the stunning
Palisades Falls
trail, which is paved for wheelchair access.
Other recreational opportunities include mountain biking, ice climbing, and backcountry
skiing in winter.
Skiing
One of only two nonprofit ski areas in Montana,
Bridger Bowl
(15795 Bridger Canyon Rd.,
406/587-2111,
www.bridgerbowl.com
,
9am-4pm daily during ski season, full-day $51 and
half-day $42 adults, $25 seniors, $17 children 7-12, free for children 6 and under and seni-
ors over 79) is only 16 miles north of Bozeman and offers 2,000 acres of exceptional terrain
and first-class facilities for about half of what you would pay at Aspen or Vail. Multiple-day
tickets and ski school options are available, and there are 71 trails and eight lifts to get you
on the mountain, including
Schlasman's,
opened in late 2008, which summits the ridge, an
area long known as an “earn your turns” mecca. The mountain offers diverse terrain but
is perhaps slightly more geared toward advanced skiers, with 30 percent of the trails rated
“extreme.” In the summer, trails are open to hikers and mountain bikers. In early October,
usually before the snow flies, the ski hill hosts the
Bridger Raptor Fest
(bridgerraptor-
fest.org), a series of films, walks, talks, and demonstrations that coincides with the largest
golden eagle migration in the United States.
