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There's more to Bozeman than skiing and fishing. With four seasons, abundant water, tons of snow, and countless acres of public land, the options for outdoor recreation are almost endless.
First comes runoff, flushing snow out of the mountains and forcing fisherfolk off the rivers. Read more >>
Nobody moves to southwest Montana looking for balmy beaches. The choice to live here is a choice to embrace the long winters that come with the territory. June snowstorms aren’t out of the question, nor is ice-fishing in November. Read more >>
Pull on your climbing shoes, buckle your life jacket, and saddle your horse: Paradise Valley has all the activities you need to satisfy your outdoor-adventure cravings this spring. With so much to do, you won’t even miss the snow.
Climbing Read more >>
From hundreds of feet in the air, Bozeman is a latticework of tiny streets filled with miniature houses and toy cars. Minutes later, our tiny plane rises above a thick carpet of evergreens, streaked with ribbons of brown beetle-kill and patched with buzz-cut fields of logging. Read more >>
It’s a clear, sunny afternoon at the top of the M, and everyone is taking in Bozeman’s picturesque sights below. Read more >>
With no educational level, dollar amount, or age requirement necessary to begin, rockhounding—the collecting of rocks and minerals—is an enjoyable way for the whole family to spend time together. Read more >>
My vision for a bold and fresh new way to explore the rivers of Yellowstone Country was born on a redeye flight back to the Treasure State from the Garden Island of Kauai. Read more >>
Our plane floats off the runway in what seems a distance far too short. I’ve flown enough to know this is how flying was meant to be—light and fast—which is much more enjoyable than cramming into a tube with a few hundred strangers and jetting up into the death zone. Read more >>
Think Big Sky is only fun in the winter? Think again. Over the last few years, Big Sky Resort has been ramping up their snowless activities, building a tasty menu of summer options that’s nearly on par with their wintertime fare. Read more >>
Just by turning in my saddle, I could see ten different mountain ranges. The isolated and fierce Crazies, the Big Belts, the Castle Mountains, and the majestic Gallatin and Bridger ranges were to my left, scraping against an azure sky. Read more >>
Situated at the mouth of Gallatin Canyon, Montana Whitewater Raft Company has built an impressive network of ziplines and platforms hidden in the pines, providing you with an adrenaline-soaked way to spend the day once the sun starts shining. Read more >>
Stretching a cavernous 1,500 feet from the top of Chet’s Knob to Tippy’s Tumble, Big Sky Resort’s Twin Zip spans their entire base area. Read more >>
With the blinding sun streaming through my frosted windshield, I drove toward the M trailhead early on a cold morning. Read more >>
As dusk creeps down the southern flank of the Spanish Peaks, the gusty alpine wind subsides and a pervasive calm settles over Big Sky. The day’s pale blue sky has turned gray; light snowflakes begin to fill the air. They descend slowly, drifting toward the ground like tiny paratroopers. Read more >>
Sure, you could drive north to Martinsdale or Canyon Ferry Lake, east to Harrison Reservoir, or south to Ennis or Hebgen Lakes and probably find wind. A wind phone service will even tell you how hard it’s blowing at some of those places. Read more >>
Snowmobiling
Snowmobilers have unique avalanche risk factors built into their sport. Today’s high-powered sleds are capable of reaching new heights at greater speeds, and each year riders venture farther into remote terrain. Read more >>
Get your throttle going with these snowmobile events happening in our area this winter. January 11-13 Island Park WinterFest Read more >>
It was the loudest thing in my world at that moment. Soft brushing sounds resonated like long strokes on stiff canvas. The sound intensified as I opened my eyes and slid from shadow to light. Read more >>Snowshoeing
Looking for a new venue for your favorite winter activity? Just head over the hill. Doesn’t matter what blows your hair back—once the snow comes down, you can find it in Paradise Valley. Read more >>
Last winter I tagged along on a snowshoe trip through MacDonald Pass near Helena as part of a recent Defenders of Wildlife effort to involve the public in its research and causes. Read more >>
Does your running routine screech to a stop once winter sets in? Do icy pavement and drab urban environs lack a certain romance, driving you to you opt for other activities—all the while ruing your diminishing fitness level and the re-entry pain you’ll feel come April? Read more >>As if in a dream, I’m gliding down a snowfield, the silence caressed by the gentle sound of the powder snow moving beneath my feet. The slope is so steep that, in reality, I’m falling, but the pillow of snow on which I’m balanced, and the shear volume of snow, cushions all hazards. Read more >>Sledding
As soon as snow covers the ground, you can count on Bozemanites rushing to their favorite spots for some sweet sledding action. Read more >>
I am a proud participant in Extreme Saucer Sledding. It's not your average five-year-old's sport. Extreme places tend to attract extreme people, which is no exception in our cozy little mountain berg. Read more >>Last winter, I had the opportunity to “experiment” with an early model of Mad River Rocket’s Killer B Sled. With a little practice, I mastered a basic carve turn and a rudimentary hockey stop at the bottom of the slope. Read more >>Ice Skating
Bozeman is a winter wonderland, and there are lots of opportunities in and around town to get out and enjoy it. With the help of Bozeman’s Parks and Rec Department, here are some fun activities at your local parks this winter. In-Town Nordic Trails Read more >>
In some places, staying inside during winter is standard procedure—but not in Bozeman. Snow, hail, whipping winds, or below-freezing temperatures? Bring it on! And just like us, our kids don’t let a little snow stop them from playing outside. Read more >>Fans of ice sports throughout southwest Montana were saddened when the Valley Ice Garden shut its doors to become a cold-storage warehouse. Thankfully, the Gallatin County Fairgrounds immediately provided partial remedy with its semi-enclosed Haynes Pavilion. Read more >>The NHL lock-out may be cutting down on hockey viewing time this winter, but there’s no shortage of opportunities around Bozeman for you to slide and glide on the ice yourself. Read more >>Dog Sledding
Now that winter is here, high-energy activities for your dog don’t have to end. Consider taking up skijoring, where two of Bozeman’s favorite things—skiing and dogs—are combined for a team-oriented adventure. Read more >>
I'm standing in chaos. Twenty-some Alaskan Huskies lurch and leap amid a morass of trucks, trailers, sleds, and riggings. Kennel doors open and close; rope, webbing, and harnesses line the ground; blankets and duffel bags pile up. Read more >>Geocaching
Look at a map of your area, and what do you see? Can you find every fishing access site you’ll ever need, or all the best hard-to-find creeks the locals won’t tell you about? Read more >>
Until relatively recently, �GPS� was an acronym familiar only to gearheads and a few fatcats who were able to access the U.S. Government�s Global Positioning Satellite system to steer their BMWs to the nearest Taco Bell. Read more >>Shooting
There’s a reason the founding fathers made the right to bear arms number two on the list: guns are incredible. Read more >>
I knew something wasn’t working, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. The presentation came from two traps hidden in the trees to my right. The first clay pigeon—a hard, right/left crosser—passed in front of me in a flat, low arc, and it was smoking. Read more >>
The dog, Powder, found the brood in an open meadow at 6,500 feet in elevation—1,500 painful feet higher than where we’d left my truck. They had scattered out below a lonely and ancient Douglas fir, where they’d undoubtedly spent the morning looking for grasshoppers. Read more >>
If you’re shopping for a new turkey blaster—or just want to ogle all the cool guns on the market—pick up a copy of the Firearms Multimedia Guide (Impressum Media, $30) and prepare to spend several hours in a desirous daze. Read more >>
I’m not a gun nut. I’m a regular nut who owns guns, but only to hunt, not to defend my home and family, join the militia or fight the forces of tyranny.Gun nuts don’t scare or intimidate me. Instead, I’m learning a few things from them. You can, too. Read more >>Caving
"Listen!" says Peter, who is lying on his side a few feet in front of me in the small canyon-shaped passage. "I think I hear thunder." Read more >>People don't usually think of bats when they think of Montana, but Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park is a great place to view these critters close up. Read more >>This summer, when the mercury rises and another float down the tepid Lower Madison River sounds anything but refreshing, one might consider loading up the family for a day at Montana’s first state park. Read more >>Birding
Harrison Lake, aka Willow Creek Reservoir, just east of Harrison in the Madison Valley, is now formally an Important Bird Area (IBA)—the 40th IBA in Montana. Read more >>
From the inside of our pickup truck, the Coffee Creek Block Management Area doesn’t look like much. Treeless and monochrome, bordered by small, indistinct hills, this shallow drainage meanders through a drab and seemingly lifeless landscape. Read more >>Swimming
When Saturday dawns warm and bright and outdoor ambitions rise within you like spring snowmelt, it’s time for a Montana multisport: two or more outdoor activities spliced into a single day of fun and adventure. Read more >>
50% off; reg. price $50. One 40-minute stroke review with video: A very detailed analysis of your stroke with several pointers given for improvement. Several lengths of video are required for this analysis. You will receive feedback as voiceover to your video footage. Read more >>
Even though nearly four million people swarm Yellowstone each year seeking to experience its magic and majesty, a relatively small number leave the roads or boardwalks. Even fewer make it to the remote and fabled Cascade Corner. Read more >>
You’ve thought about it. Some of your friends do it. However, you’re not quite sure how to do it. Don’t be intimidated—participating in your first triathlon is a wonderful endeavor that you can accomplish. Read more >>Scuba Diving
On the first dive, nothing feels right. You can’t float, or you float too much, and the plastic regulator in your mouth tastes like car tires. But by the third dive, you’re a goldfish. You find neutral buoyancy in a second, floating weightless and even, light as a ghost. Read more >>
Love snorkeling and scuba-diving but can’t afford a week in the Caribbean? Think there’s nowhere to dive around here? Sure, Bozeman’s no Cozumel, but consider this: between tourists and locals, some two million people swarm southwest Montana each summer. Read more >>At 10:30 am, heat waves swim off the asphalt on Hwy. 287 north of Norris. It's gonna be a warm one. A quick stop at the Harrison store for munchies and Gatorade, and we're cruising down the dirt road to Willow Creek Reservoir, aka Harrison Lake. A 50-yard-long wake of dust billows out behind us. Read more >>On any hot summer day when I was a teenager, all it took was a phone call: "Hello?" "Firehole." Click. Read more >>
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