Six Spring Bike Rides To Take With Your Pooch

Ramona Mead, by Angie Ripple

1. Hyalite Canyon Road - Closed each year from April 1 - May 15th the road closure gives the perfect opportunity to ride with your dog without having to watch out for vehicles on the road. Round trip from the lower gate to the reservoir is 15.6 miles and 1180 feet of elevation gain. Just under 10 miles from Dowtown Bozeman Hyalite Canyon is a great place to explore year round.

2. Middle Cottonwood - Middle Fork of Cottonwood Canyon is a 4.2 mile out and back trail located 6 miles north of Bozeman on the western flank of the Bridgers. The trail is primarily used for mountain biking and includes 2 miles of extremely technical singletrack. If you and your dog aren’t in the best shape it may be best to take this one on foot to check it out.

3. Peet’s Hill - You can hit the only real hill in town from several parking areas, one off S. Church across from Bogert Park or from behind the Bozeman Library. The dirt single track meets up with Highland to the east and Kagy to the south. The entire loop is roughly 4 miles, the trails are busy with walkers, runners, bikers and dogs.

4. South Cottonwood - Just under 13 miles from downtown Bozeman South Cottonwood Canyon is a both dog and bike friendly single track. In total the trail is 12 miles, of which the first 2.5 are doable for novices, the rest will take commitment and are quite challenging.

5. Hedwig’s Trail at Snowfill Dog Park - Hedvig’s Trail is 1.25 miles long within a 34 acre fully fenced dogs-off-leash area just 4 miles from downtown Bozeman. May not be the best place to ride your bike, but a great place nonetheless.

6. Bozeman Creek - Located about 8.5 miles from downtown Bozeman this trail also known as Sourdough Canyon Road Trail is good for all skill levels and is dog friendly. Several trail options will land you at Mystic Lake where you can fish and/or stay at the Forest Service cabin (reservation required or course).

This was made by

Ramona Mead

Ramona Mead is a freelance writer and jack of all trades. She is passionate about books, music, pets and living life to the fullest here in Montana. Her blog can be found at http://benicefollowrules.blogspot.com

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