FEATURED TRAIL
Cherry River
Description
At Cherry River, you’ll find wetlands, wildlife, easy access to blue-ribbon fishing in the East Gallatin River, and unobstructed views of the Bridger Range. While the mile-long trail is flat, it has a lot of character. You’ll have the opportunity to see spectacular birds resting on cattails in the two ponds, and there is a great spot to sit on the grass and watch the river flow by. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can connect from the Cherry River trail to trails in Glen Lake Rotary Park, expanding your route from just a short loop to a longer walk.
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🟢 Easy
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1.3 miles of available trail
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Gravel path
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Walking, running, biking, fishing, equestrian
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The trail can be muddy in the fall and spring.
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The parking lot is off Frontage Road between 7th Avenue and Reeves Road.
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The area is home to a wide variety of water birds, so dogs must be on leash.
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The parking lot has a public restroom and there are benches along the trail.
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Trails at Cherry River are gravel and natural surface trails that are up to 24 inches in width. No dedicated accessible spaces are available in the dirt parking lot.
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Call Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks, Region 3 at 406-577-7900.
Trail History
Cherry River Fishing Access Site (FAS) was purchased in 1992 from a conservation-minded resident who wanted to preserve open recreation areas and wildlife habitat along the East Gallatin River. Soon after the acquisition, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) developed two large ponds using the natural warm spring that flows through the property and planted the furrowed ground with a beneficial seed mix including birds-foot tree foil, a valuable legume for bird forage. This area is heavily used by a large variety of waterfowl, white-tailed deer, and recreationists, who fish the river and enjoy the nature trail looping around the two ponds.
GVLT has partnered with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks since 2000 to help manage the gravel trails and install numerous benches throughout the site.