OUR TRAILS PROGRAM
Explore 100 Miles of Trails from Main Street to the Mountains
Since our founding in 1990, GVLT has been instrumental in developing many of the beloved trails that make up the Main Street to Mountains trail system which now totals nearly 100 miles!
GVLT Founder Chris Boyd had the original vision for this system, dreaming of connecting the wooded Gallatin Range in the south to the imposing ridgeline of the Bridgers in the north by trail, through the various neighborhoods, subdivisions, and open fields along the way. Decades later we made that dream a reality through partnerships with the City of Bozeman and dozens of public and private organizations. Today, these trails are used by commuters, runners, bikers, hikers, birdwatchers, and stargazers of all ages. They help make the Gallatin Valley the best place to live under the Big Sky.
How We Work
There are a number of ways that GVLT works on the community trail system. Every project is unique and our role can vary from facilitating to building, enhancing, or maintaining. Our biggest strength is our ability to bring diverse groups to work together toward a long-range vision for our community trails. As a nonprofit, we can be nimble to seize land acquisitions, funding, and partnership opportunities. The variety of ways that we work allows us to address needs in all parts of the trail system, ensuring new access, safety, and excellent user experiences.
Looking Ahead
You can now travel from downtown to the mountains on trails—south to the top of Triple Tree Trail and north to the College M Trail. But we’re not done yet.
Trails are critical infrastructure. They are essential to our physical well-being, our mental health, and our community’s social fabric. Trails should be inclusive and equitable, free of charge, and accessible to everyone in our growing community. This inspires our ambitious long-term goals.
Our 30-Year Vision
In 30 years, everyone in the greater Bozeman area will have convenient access to immersive experiences in nature and live within a 10-minute walk of a safe, connected trail system.
Our Priorities
Like all of our work, trail development requires us to take the long view. Guided by our 30-year vision, we prioritize projects that:
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We will continue to create critical trail connections to tie together the existing Main Street to the Mountains trail system—ensuring all residents can safely and efficiently travel to schools, parks, services, and work.
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Seizing opportunities to work with cities and counties, as well as real estate developers as subdivisions progress from planning through approval, we will continue to lead the expansion of the trail system as our community footprint grows.
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We seek projects that diffuse pressure on existing trails and increase access to the outdoors. These projects include recreation areas, pathways to public land, and trails within natural areas.
