FEATURED TRAIL
Kirk Hill
Description
The Kirk Hill trail starts in a marshy meadow and climbs into a dry hillside overlooking the Gallatin Valley. It is mostly shaded and weaves through old-growth Douglas Fir forests and beautiful aspen groves. This trail features many flowers and plants, particularly in the spring, as well as abundant wildlife. It connects to Custer Gallatin National Forest, accessing hundreds of miles of additional trails via Moser Trail.
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🟦 ♦ Moderate to advanced
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2+ miles of available trail
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Natural surface singletrack
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Walking, hiking, trail running (bicycles are prohibited at Kirk Hill)
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The steep trail can be icy and slippery in the wintertime.
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The parking lot is off South 19th Avenue at the sharp bend in the road.
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Allowed on-leash
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The parking lot is gravel with no dedicated accessible parking. The trails are narrow natural surface singletrack trails that are steep and contain wooden structures and stairs.
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Call the Montana State University Alumni Foundation at 406-994-2053.
Trail History
Marguerite Kirk, an early area resident, grew up in Gallatin Gateway, teaching in public schools and working as a librarian. Kirk kept her roots in Bozeman, retiring here and later buying the Country Bookshelf. She purchased a small tract of land below Kirk Hill in 1956, and in 1969, she donated it to the Montana State University Alumni Foundation—requesting the park be dedicated as an educational outdoor classroom for the study of flora and fauna. The trail network was developed by volunteers, and for years, volunteers managed the land and trails. GVLT entered the picture in 2017, when we partnered with the MSU Alumni Foundation to assist in restoring the Kirk Hill parking lot and trailhead signage. Since then, we have continued to collaborate on trail maintenance projects, including upgrading a section of boardwalk near the trailhead in 2024. Today, Kirk Hill serves as a linkage from an easily accessible trailhead to the vast Custer-Gallatin National Forest.