FEATURED TRAIL
Glen Lake Rotary Park
Description
When you think of Montana, paddle boarding and beach volleyball are not the first things that come to mind. But Glen Lake Rotary Park provides Bozeman’s own brand of sandy paradise. On hot summer days, visitors can play on the beach, swim in the lake, or take a shady stroll down to the banks of the East Gallatin—the blue-ribbon trout fishery right on our doorstep—on three miles of GVLT-built trails. Thanks to GVLT’s efforts to connect the recreation area to nearby trails, the adventure doesn’t stop there. Hikers and fishing enthusiasts can head west to Cherry River, circle back to boulder on the climbing rock, then stop in at MAP Brewing to enjoy food, drinks, and a terrific lakeshore view.
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🟢 Easy
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3 miles of available trail
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Gravel pathways
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Walking, running, biking, fishing, paddle boarding, volleyball
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The trail can be muddy in the fall and spring.
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The parking lot is off Manley Road on the east side of Glen Lake.
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Allowed on-leash
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There is a beach on Glen Lake, known locally as Bozeman Beach, which is great for spending a summer day with the family. The recreation area has public bathrooms, a climbing boulder, volleyball courts, picnic tables, and pavilions. Pavilions are available to rent through Bozeman Parks and Recreation.
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The parking lot is paved with dedicated accessible spaces and curb cuts offering access to the trails. The trails primarily have a compacted gravel surface and are four-plus feet in width.
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Call Bozeman Parks and Recreation at 406-582-2290.
Trail History
Beginning in the early 1990s, local volunteers began an ambitious process to rehabilitate a local gravel pit into a community park. Working thousands of hours themselves, with some assistance from city, county, and state agencies, they turned over the task of park building to a fledgling new Sunrise Rotary Club.
In need of a signature community project, the club members gladly accepted the challenge and began sculpting, cultivating, and renovating the property. With each passing year, as the club grew, more and more amenities were added to the park. One large project was to rebuild the area surrounding the pond. A “beach” was built with sand to attract more kids and families. The locals dubbed it “Bozeman Beach” to help differentiate it from nearby Bozeman Pond.
GVLT worked with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and Sunrise Rotary to secure easements and build trails to the north of the pond, connecting into adjacent neighborhoods and trail systems. These trails provide beloved connections in the community and host events such as Random Acts of Silliness’ Bumblewood Thicket Fairy Village, an outdoor art exhibit that magically appears every fall. In early 2019, the State of Montana, through FWP, turned over management of the park to the City of Bozeman under a new 50-year lease agreement, and in the process renamed the park Glen Lake Rotary Park.