Bozeman Montana was established in 1863, in Gallatin County which is 2,517 square miles in size. To put this in perspective, Gallatin County is larger than the states of Rhode Island or Delaware. Much of surrounding countryside is fertile farm fields, and over 40% is managed by the U.S. Forest Service which provides excellent recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. Agriculture continues to be the number one industry of the area, and wheat, and barley fields and picturesque old barns dot the landscape.
The great active lifestyle magazine, Outside Magazine, has rated Bozeman on of the 15 best “sport cities” in the country. Bozeman received this recognition because of outstanding opportunities for ice climbing, fly-fishing, downhill skiing, hunting, hiking, camping, climbing, canoeing, and kayaking. Bozeman is an angler's paradise with several outstanding streams and rivers within an hour's drive.
Arch Falls in Hyalite Canyon
The surrounding forests offer an escape from "city life," and with a short drive, you will find yourself in a whole new world. Camping, hiking, fishing, and biking are common weekend activities, just like Outside Magazine stated. In the spring and summer, wildflowers accentuate the beautiful landscape along numerous trails, and these same areas offer miles of cross-country skiing in the winter.
Bozeman is home to talented artists, professors, ranchers, and the craftsmen that make Gibson Guitars. Excellent galleries and eateries representing an array of styles and flavors line our city streets. You will also find opera, symphony, ballet, and rodeo, as well as The Sweet Pea Festival, Christmas Stroll and the Gallatin County Fair and Home of Montana State University,
Bozeman prides itself in offering small town ambiance with big city amenities. Nestled in the Gallatin Valley a high mountain valley at an elevation of 4,795 feet and is surrounded on three sides by the Bridger, Gallatin and Tobacco Root mountains.
World-renowned rivers such as the Madison, Gallatin and Yellowstone are all within 30 miles of town. But there’s also plenty of fish to be caught in the area’s numerous lakes and smaller streams including some right in town. From scenic pleasure floats in a raft or canoe to whitewater rafting and kayaking there are plenty of opportunities for all ages and skill levels to enjoy the rivers outside Bozeman.
Many trout like the German brown can be cought in the rivers around Bozeman
There is ample opportunity for touring and mountain biking Bozeman’s city streets and abundant single track trails throughout the nearby foothills and mountains.
Skiers and snowboarders have the run of three world-class destination resorts, all within an hour’s drive, including community-owned Bridger Bowl. Located 16 miles north of Bozeman, Bridger is renowned for powder so dry and wispy; locals dub it “the cold smoke.” Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin, an hour south of Bozeman, are ideal for those seeking a road trip in their pursuit of powder. For the cross-country skier Bohart Ranch, near Bridger Bowl, offers 25 km of groomed cross county trails or head out on your own on numerous back country options some of which begin in the middle of town.
Hiking trails range from easy to difficult are numerous in all elevations from 4,500 to over 10,000 feet. You can even hike on our “Main Street to the Mountains” trail system which starts at various points throughout town.
Hyalite Creek in winter
In the spring and summer, wildflowers accentuate the beautiful landscape along numerous trails, and these same areas offer miles of cross-country skiing in the winter.
For thousands of years, Native Americans tribes including the Shoshone, Nez Perce, Blackfeet, Flathead and Sioux made the area their home, though the Gallatin Valley was not permanently held by any particular tribe.
William Clark visited the area in July 1806 as he traveled east from Three Forks along the Gallatin River. The party camped 3 miles (4.8 km) east of what is now Bozeman, at the mouth of Kelly Canyon. The journal entries from Clark's party briefly describe the future city's location in a place the local natives called the "Valley of the Flowers"
In 1863, John Bozeman, along with a partner named John Jacobs, opened the Bozeman Trail, an offshoot from the Oregon Trail leading to the mining town of Virginia City through the Gallatin Valley and the future location of Bozeman.
John Bozeman, with Daniel Rouse and William Bealle platted the town in 1864 stating "standing right in the gate of the mountains ready to swallow up all tenderfeet that would reach the territory from the east, with
Ice Climbing is popular in the Gallatin Range
their golden fleeces to be taken care of. The Indian Wars closed the Bozeman Trail in 1868, but the town's fertile land attracted permanent settlers. In 1866 Nelson Story arrived with 3,000 head of longhorn cattle sneaking past angry Native Americans and the U.S. Army who tried to turn Story back for safety reasons. These first herd of longhorns formed the first cow herd establishing Montana's cattle industry.
Fort Ellis was established in 1867 by Captain R. S. LaMotte and two companies of the 2nd Cavalry, after the mysterious death of John Bozeman near Yellowstone and considerable political disturbance in the area led local settlers and miners to feel a need for added protection. The fort, named for Gettysburg casualty Colonel Augustus Van Horne Ellis, was decommissioned in 1886 and very few remains are left at the actual site, now occupied by the Fort Ellis Experimental Station of Montana State University In addition to Fort Ellis, a short-lived fort, Fort Elizabeth Meahger (also simply known as Fort Meagher), was established in 1867 by volunteer militiamen. This fort was located eight miles east of town on Rock Creek.
Whitewater Raftaing is great fun on the Gallatin River 30 miles south of Bozeman
Northern Pacific Railway tracks finally reached the small town in 1883. By 1900, Bozeman's population reached 3,500.
Bozeman - An ideal place to recreate! Clean air, national forest access less than 10 miles away and a moderate climate makes this a perfect place for outdoor recreation. For those who like to stay a little closer to home enjoy shopping, parks, world-class museums, and arts, and cultural opportunities. Residents of Bozeman receive the benefits of a wonderful standard of living with year-round recreational and cultural events. Bozeman is the place to be for that small town feel with big city amenities. Bozeman is the perfect place to do everything or nothing at all.
Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Bozeman is truly a remarkable community. The area at large encompasses over 50,000 people with backgrounds and cultures as diverse as the Montana landscape. From cattle ranchers to high tech engineers, the area is home to a breed of people who have come to appreciate an unmatched quality of life. While retaining a small town feel, Bozeman prides itself on offering community activities and programs typically available only in larger, metropolitan areas. Combine the wide array of resources with an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities and it's easy to understand why Bozeman ranks as one of the nation's most liveable cities.
• Montana, aka 'Boz Angeles.' Here's what surprised me most about one of the fastest-growing cities in the US.
Bozeman, Montana, was named the fastest-growing US city of its size in 2018, and often tops lists of the best places to live in the country.
Spending three days there, I saw a bustling Main Street filled with trendy cafés and restaurants, and locals who enjoy easy access to hiking, biking, fly-fishing, and skiing.
However, I also saw a huge amount of construction and found it to be surprisingly expensive for a small town.
Bozeman
Trail before John Bozeman: A busy land• by
Robert Utley,
The Great Father sends us presents and wants us to sell
him the road, but White Chief goes with soldiers to steal
the road before the Indians say Yes or No."So Red
Cloud is supposed to have exploded angrily when Colonel
Henry
B. Carrington's infantry interrupted the Fort Laramie
peace council of 1866. Off he stormed with his Oglala
warriors, and the war for the Bozeman Trail was on.
Fly
Fishing Opportunities near Bozeman, Montana • By Brant Oswald
The fly fishing opportunities found near
Bozeman, Montana are well known to most folks in the FFF community.
Rather
than repeat the same information that is available from a
multitude of other sources, here are a few tips from a local
on the area’s best fishing
In
the Bozone • by Peter Fish
After just one day in Bozeman, Montana, I was compiling
a list of all the reasons my family and I had to move here
right away:
MSU
acquires records of legendary fly fishing publisher • By Tracy Ellig
Bozeman - In the past 30 years, any reader of fly fishing
books has likely turned the pages of something published by
Nick Lyons. Lyons, who sought the best writing on angling
and put it into print, is regarded as one of the most important
forces in the publication of fly fishing books in
America.
Hemingway Adventure, Bozeman, Montana
On November 1930, when Archie MacLeish flew out to Montana
to see his friend Ernest hospitalised in Billings after
a serious car crash, it took him two days to get there and
he called it ‘the most hair raising flight of my life’.
Great
ski resorts you've never heard of
If you're serious about ditching the crowds, try one of
these powder-heavy, laid-back, easy-on-your-wallet alternatives
to the usual Rocky Mountain mayhem. Located about 16 miles
north of Bozeman, Montana, on Highway 86, Bridger Bowl Ski
Area has 2,000 feet of vertical, great intermediate glade
skiing, and some of the gnarliest rock-strewn couloirs in
the West. With 25 percent beginner terrain, 35 percent intermediate,
30 percent advanced, and 10 percent hike-in extreme skiing,
Bridger has plenty to offer skiiers of all levels. Despite
the fact that ultra-funky Bozeman is only a 20-minute drive
away, Bridger is blissfully crowd-free--thanks to a new
quad that's increased lift capacity by 43 percent. For slopeside
accommodations, rent a privately owned condo or opt for
the low-key bed and breakfast. Be aware that they only have
75 beds on the mountain, so most people stay down the road
in Bozeman (the airport is just 10 minutes outside of town).
The
Face Of Bozeman • By Ann Marie Gardner
No longer a cow town, Bozeman -- in Big Sky Country, Montana
-- has been nicknamed Boz Angeles because of an influx
of Californians and celebrities. This has resulted in
ranchers cashing out and Wal-Mart moving in, although
downtown Bozeman still has plenty of charm, along with
mountain views. And while it has been known to snow in
August, on most weekends you'll find the whole town --
and its many dogs -- floating down the Madison and Yellowstone
Rivers on inner tubes.
MusicVilla.com •
Music Villa is located in beautiful downtown Bozeman, Montana.
Home of the Gibson Acoustics Premier Showroom, we are
a full line dealer selling quality musical products for
everyone from beginner to expert and hobbyist to collector.
Our web site shows just a sample of our large inventory,
so
if you are interested in a product that you dont see
here, please feel free to call us at 406-587-4761, Email
us or just stop by if you are in the neighborhood! .................I
did and the owner let me in to see the Gibsons even though
he
was
closed and knowing that I was a looker and not a buyer.
He is so proud of his product he personally showed me his
pride and joys that wen't on the showroom floor. If I can
ever afford a musical piece of art, I am buying it in Bozeman
at Music Villa. - Publisher - Greater Yellowstone Resource Guide.
Greater Yellowstone News
Yellowstone in Recovery
In June 2022, unprecedented amounts of rainfall caused substantial flooding, rockslides, and mudslides within Yellowstone National Park. Historic water levels caused severe damage to roads, water and wastewater systems, power lines, and other critical park infrastructure. ......... All you need to know
Backpacking The Thorofare in Yellowstone – The Most Remote Place in the US Lower 48 ~
The logistics of planning a backpacking trip in Yellowstone are a bit tricky but manageable. The biggest challenge is the lack of commercial airline service in Wyoming. Cody, West Yellowstone, and Jackson Hole airports are all extremely expensive, offer few options, and almost always require a connection. Rental car availability and price can also be a challenge in those markets. I have opted for Salt Lake City for all my Yellowstone trips as the logistics, aside from a long drive, are easier to manage at a fraction of the price. ........ Rest of the story
Fire is good;
Yellowstone has long been shaped by fire and not just the cool, creeping ground fires often described as "good" for grass production. The natural history of fire in the park includes large-scale conflagrations sweeping across the park's vast volcanic plateaus. Most Americans steeped in Smokey the Bear's "Only you can prevent forest fires!" mantra, the very thought that forest fires might have a positive side seemed preposterous. We all learned this as children and it is damned hard to change, as our indoctrination to this policy was total. ...... Learn More
A forest reborn
The Greater Yellowstone Bald Eagle:
Bald Eagles are again a common site along the rivers and lakes of the Greater Yellowstone Region, and they always bring a thrill to Yellowstone visitors when they set their eyes on one of these magnificent birds. The thrill of seeing our national bird soar above never fails to awe a spectator........ read more
Is social media ruining our nature excursions?
Social media, the curse and blessing of the twenty-first century. A focus on the evolution of the problem inflicted on nature, ways of to mitigate how it affects our beautiful places, our wildlife, our experience. Dichotomies and conundrums to ponder. Since the advent of the digital photography and its ease of use and economy after initial investment, America and the world have hit the road and the road comes back to us on our social media. .................... rest of article Addendum, this is getting worse than ever.
Click on photo to purchace
Study: More elk killed by cougars than by wolves in Idaho:More elk are being killed by cougars than by wolves in Idaho, a study by the state Department of Fish and Game has found.The study found that wolves accounted for 32% of adult female elk deaths and 28% of elk calf deaths, while cougars accounted for 35% of adult female elk deaths and 45% of elk calf deaths. The study also found ............ rest of story
Return of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout by Kelsey Dayton
The water in Atlantic Creek in the remote Thorofare region of Yellowstone National Park was clear. So clear that Dave Sweet could see the fish before he even cast. They were everywhere: dozens of beautiful trout with distinctive red slashes under their jaws. Sweet had journeyed for two days on horseback to the major spawning tributaries of Yellowstone Lake for those fish. Over the next few days he and his daughter would see thousands of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and catch some as long as 25 inches. But just as exciting were the younger, smaller fish. They, Sweet realized, mark a turning point in a battle to save a species..................... Rest Of Story
Huge Yellowstone Cutthroat trout
The Resort Town Curse by Daryl L. Hunter
In 1962 as a child my family went through Carmel California, and after my exclaimation how beautiful the place was, my mother explained to me that it was against the law to cut down a tree in the town and it was so beautiful. I wondered why every town didn't do that. A few years later my hometown, San Luis Obispo, did enact all kinds of restricted zoning like Carmel's as a part of an urban renewal plan, and now I couldn't afford to move back there if I wanted to. This town is now populated with what they call "Grey Gold", rich retired people that ran up the property values so high that native born could no longer afford to live there. I have lived in many resort towns since, and I have noticed a trend. I am attracted to them when they are still little, quaint and undiscovered, but it usually isn't long before word spreads about the next great place. .............. Rest of story
A Protective Firewall For Grizzlies By Daryl L. Hunter
The delisting of the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear is imminent and this we should celebrate (''''dancing''''). Now that our happy dance is complete, we must ensure the grizzlies' recovery is permanent. To ensure "continuity of achievement," the grizzlies need a firewall to protect the success of this achievement from human foible.
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee was formed in 1983 to help ensure recovery of viable grizzly bear populations and their habitat in the lower 48 states through interagency coordination of policy, planning, management, and research. Many people have been working on this recovery for decades, for some; it has been most of their career. I can understand why the delisting of the grizzly before their retirement is their goal. A metaphorical gold watch if you will.
Many will argue differently,................. Rest of Article
Grizzly 399 and her quadruplets doing their part in Grizzly Recovery in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The Grand Teton Photo and Field Guide is an encapsulation of the flora, fauna, and photography of Jackson Hole Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park. Also included are thumbnails of the history and geology of the valley. This book is for all visitors with a desire to seek out wildlife, photograph the landscape, or merely learn about the history, geology, and lay of the land of Grand Teton National Park. The author provides general overviews including hot links with more in-depth descriptions of subjects of individual interest.
In the “Lay of the Land” section, includes the obvious highlights along the loop through Grand Teton Park. Hot links to side roads will give you more in-depth description of side roads and feeder roads and their highlights. Also included are descriptions of all two-rut roads that are legal to travel on in Grand Teton Park. GPS links to Google Maps are provided throughout.
As a field guide, profiles of most of animals and birds in the area are described. Jackson Hole is full of wildlife but there are places where animals are, and there are places where they are not. It is a waste of time to scrutinize a landscape devoid of what you are looking for, so this guide narrows options down to the hot spots. I provide maps of the likeliest places to find the popular critters of Grand Teton National Park. I also touch on trees, shrubs, and wildflowers with minimal explanations.
Huge Bull Moose, dwarfed by the giant peaks of hte Grand Tetons.
Click on photo to see larger or purchase
The grandeur of Grand Teton Park has made it one of the most photographed places in the world. The opportunity to harness multiple juxtapositional elements has drawn photographers for over a century since William Henry Jackson took the first photos here in 1878. Grand Teton Park’s plethora of famous vistas are profiled as well as many which are less clichéd that can bring new perspectives of a well-documented landscape. Grand Tetons’ iconic landscape photo opportunities are described in detail; however, they barely scratch the surface of opportunities as it takes a photographer with an artist’s eye to unveil as they follow their own intuition and vision. The author who shies away from clichéd landscapes provides a chapter of his favorite places that aren’t landscape clichés.
In the photography section the author includes chapters on composition, exposure basics, when to shoot and why. Daryl has summarized what he teaches in his, half day, Grand Teton workshops in a simple concise way.
If you are only in Grand Teton Park for a day there is a chapter called the “Portfolio Packer Morning Trip,” that does just that, all the icons and several favorite places in a five our blitz. But it is better to spend more time and dig deep into the embarrassment of riches of Grand Teton National Park................. More Info
