GVLT Discovery Walks connect users with trail system
5/13/2016 Bozeman Daily Chronicle by Rachel Hergett
Over the last 26 years, Gallatin Valley Land Trust has built an extensive 80-mile trail system that connects Main Street in Bozeman to the mountains that surround us. The Main Street to the Mountains trail system has trails for all abilities and they are accessible from neighborhoods all over town. Yet the trail system can be daunting and confusing to the newcomer or novice user. And even the experienced trail users in Bozeman are probably unaware of all the trails in our backyard.
In order to help people explore the community trail system, GVLT hosting the second season of Discovery Walks: Trail Exploration Series, starting May 18. Walk, talk and explore the trails while meeting new people and learning something new along the way. These one-hour, guided, educational walks are totally free and open to the public.
“Sometimes we forget that people have barriers to getting outside, whether that’s uncertainty about where to park, if the trail will be too hard or not having anyone to go with,” according to EJ Porth. “Discovery Walks make exploring the trails something that anyone, at any age and any ability can do to get outside and feel like they’re part of the community.”
Volunteers and local experts will be hosting short talks and activities during the walks about topics such as yoga, bird identification, wildflower identification, bouldering, art and more. Many of the walks are geared toward families and kids. All participants will get a free trail map at the end of the walk so they can find other trails to explore on their own.