A vital 437-acre piece of the Paradise Valley landscape has been permanently protected through a voluntary conservation easement established by the Nickelson family in partnership with Northern Yellowstone Open Lands, a regional initiative of the Gallatin Valley Land Trust.

This winter’s unseasonable weather has GVLT’s Big Sky Watershed Corps member Lily Grinhauz trading her desk for the muddy trails of Bozeman. Read her full investigation into shoulder season etiquette, why "blazing your own trail" harms our ecosystem, and our top local trail recommendations.

This year marks the 11th anniversary of GVLT's Summer Trails Challenge. Last year, our trail-loving community logged an unprecedented 100,000 miles to unlock $100,000 for local trails! Can we do it again? We are confident we can—but we need additional business partners to help us reach the starting line.

I recently traded the familiar paths of Bozeman for the vibrant, bird-filled jungles of Costa Rica, where howler monkeys roar and Scarlet Macaws soar. Read my latest notes on how my jounrney gave me a brand-new perspective on our own Main Street to the Mountains trail system.

GVLT has reached a historic milestone in regional land conservation: 75,000 total acres of highly productive agricultural, wildlife-rich, and scenic open lands permanently protected across Gallatin, Park, and Madison counties.

We are thrilled to welcome Edward Lichty, John DiCola, and Erik Udstuen as our newest board members. Learn more about this talented and dedicated group of individuals.

When I decided to walk the nearly 100 miles of Bozeman’s Main Street to the Mountain trail system, I was woefully unaware of the extent of the trail system and where it might take me in 2026.

The iconic Bridger Ridge Trail is now fully and forever in public hands. Following a multi-year effort, a final 0.6-mile stretch of private land south of Mount Baldy has been officially transferred to the U.S. Forest Service. 

Guest columnist Dayle Hayes has set an ambitious goal for 2026: walk the entirety of Bozeman's Main Street to the Mountain trail system, which totals nearly 100 miles!

GVLT is thrilled to announce the permanent conservation of 190 acres near South Cottonwood Creek.

2025 brought exciting wins and challenging setbacks in our efforts to support land conservation throughout the county. Learn more about the projects, the partnerships, and the people who make this work possible.

Read Bozeman Daily Chronicle article.

Read the December 2025 Montana Free Press article.

Following a successful major fundraising campaign that attracted more than 800 donors, GVLT, the City of Bozeman, and Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association (SWMMBA) are moving forward with plans to build Bikefill, a world-class community bike park for all ages and abilities.

We’d love to hear about your interest in becoming our next Lands Director, one of the great conservation leadership positions in the West. It’s a rare opportunity to help lead a highly respected and accomplished land trust in a region of remarkable beauty.

As 2025 comes to a close, three of our amazing Board Members are preparing to wrap up their terms with GVLT. We want to express our deepest gratitude to Bill Cochran, Mimi Helvie, and Jeff Ott for their dedicated service to our organization and mission of trails and conservation.

On the Trail With Dayle Guest Columnist, Dayle Hayes, digs into where the advice to walk 10,000 steps a day came from and whether we should use it to judge our own activity and lifestyle.

Read reflections from GVLT Conservation Director Brendan Weiner as he wraps up his incredible 12-year tenure with the land trust and see messages of appreciation from colleagues and partners for his legacy of conservation.

At our recent Field Day event, we were delighted to honor Dotty Ballantyne with the GVLT Lifetime Service Award for decades of dedication to preserving scenic beauty, supporting the organization, and cherishing our trail system.

Learn how an abandoned railway was transformed into a scenic trail thanks to the persistence and dedication of two West Yellowstone women and support from countless local donations and grants, including $100,000 from the Gallatin County Open Lands Program.