The Gallatin Valley is full of wandering trails, glistening lakes and bountiful rivers, so it’s hard not to find yourself wanting to explore these beautiful landscapes. Luckily, the mountains surrounding Bozeman don’t just make for a pretty view. Opportunities to hike, bike, swim, climb, and more are just a short drive away, and there’s something for nearly everyone to enjoy.

As we roll into April, a month to celebrate and protect our Earth, there’s no better time to contribute to the responsible stewardship of our outdoors. Thankfully, it’s easy to get involved in protecting our wild spaces and local systems. Bozeman is full of individuals and organizations dedicated to environmental protection while also supporting and celebrating the outdoor recreation they love.

Here are ten ways you can contribute to the vibrant ecosystem of stewardship, sportsmanship, and local support that makes Bozeman so special. Hopefully, along the way, you’ll start building your own community of people with whom you can share and appreciate our amazing outdoor spaces.


Help Maintain Public Trails
Hiking is a popular way to get outside and get some exercise as the weather warms up, and Bozeman is abundant with trail systems for hikers of all levels. Whether you’re looking for an afternoon walk through Story Mill Park or for a day trip up Bozeman’s Choice Hiking Trail, Lava Lake, there’s truly a path everyone can enjoy.

Many of these trails wouldn’t be so accessible without the work of local organizations and volunteers to maintain them. For example, the Gallatin Valley Land Trust organizes community events for trail work, and can help guide self-directed clean-up projects. Wild Montana builds volunteer trail crew trips in the back country, and the U.S. Forest Service accepts volunteers, and helps connect them with resources. Not only are these opportunities a great way to give back to the trails you spend your free time on, they’re also a great way to meet like-minded locals and build community around stewardship.

Get Involved in a Cycling Organization
If biking is more your thing, you can help preserve the trails you ride on and meet other cyclists by getting involved with one of the biking organizations in Bozeman. The Dirt Concern, Bozeman’s chapter of the Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association, hosts trail maintenance days in addition to group rides and community outreach events. Similarly, the Gallatin Valley Bicycle Club hosts group rides and day tours in addition to orchestrating volunteer events like the annual Bike Swap at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. Or, if you’re just starting out, take a lesson at Crosscut before enjoying the terrain voted Bozeman’s Choice Bike Trail.

Volunteer at a Local Garden
For a more literal approach to putting down roots in Bozeman, try volunteering at a local garden. Bozeman’s gardening community is rich with resources and opportunities for beginning as well as experienced gardeners, and no matter where you look you’re likely to meet people happy to lend a helping hand and share their own tips. The Gallatin Gardeners Club hosts monthly educational meetings during the winter, and maintains a garden at the MSU Horticulture Farm that relies on volunteers. The Gallatin Valley Food Bank also has a couple of garden plots which volunteers can help maintain, and MSU Extension offers a variety of educational events and free resources to growers throughout the valley.

Plus, Bozeman has several local nurseries that are eager to share knowledge and experience with plant lovers. Bozeman’s Choice Home & Garden Business, The Garden Barn, offers a selection of outdoor and indoor plants, and both Cashman Nursery and Phoenix Garden Center offer workshops and educational events throughout the season.

Support Local Food Systems
You don’t have to be a food producer in order to support and appreciate local agriculture. Bozeman hosts several events where local farmers sell their yield, like the Bozeman Farmers Market held Tuesday evenings over the summer, or the Gallatin Valley Farmers Market most Saturday mornings at the fairgrounds. These events offer a fantastic opportunity to learn where your food comes from, and meet the people you’re supporting by buying locally.

These events aren’t the only way to buy from our local growers. Many farms in the valley offer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares. These are agreements between farms and buyers where a customer agrees to pay for produce, and meat in some cases, up front to help offset costs accrued over the winter and spring seasons. In exchange, once the farm starts producing, buyers receive a weekly box of produce straight from the farm. You can join a CSA with many farms in the area, including Gallatin Valley Botanical, Chance Farm, Amaltheia Dairy, and others.

Join a Running Club
Running is a great way to get some sun and challenge your body this season, and it’s easy to get started. Bozeman Run Club is a free running group that meets on Saturday mornings, and Big Sky Wind Drinkers is a member-based running club that organizes races and fun runs throughout the year. 

These clubs are a great way to make new friends and increase your motivation, but they’re not the only way to get running in the Gallatin Valley. For example, Community 5K Runs are held at rotating craft breweries in Bozeman over the summer and fall, and are family- and dog-friendly events. The YMCA also hosts a 5K Color Dash to support youth sporting opportunities, and the Livingston Education Foundation hosts a fun run/walk to raise money for local schools.

Volunteer to Maintain Crags and Approaches
If staying on the ground isn’t always your thing, you can meet other climbers and protect public climbing spaces by volunteering for crag maintenance days. The Access Fund, a national climbing advocacy organization, has chapters throughout the nation created to support climbing in local communities, and help keep outdoor routes safe. For projects around Bozeman, check out the Southwest Montana Climbers Coalition. They organize trail clean-up days and help address faulty anchors and bolts, and politically advocate for public lands. The Montana Mountaineering Association offers several kinds of education opportunities for climbing outdoors, in addition to taking volunteers to help run community events. The Western Montana Climbers Coalition also needs volunteers for a variety of committees aimed at addressing things like policy, events, public outreach, and more.

Support Your Recreation Locally
No matter how you choose to spend your time outside, make sure to support local economies by grabbing gear for your adventures from small businesses. For example, you could check out Bozeman’s Choice Local Bike Shop, Owenhouse Cycling for your bike needs, or go to the Bozeman Bike Kitchen for a tune-up, or to take advantage of open studio space to maintain your wheels. If you’re recreating on a budget, Second Wind Sports has a wide selection of second-hand gear and clothing. Bozeman’s Choice Fly Shop, Bozeman Fly Supply, is a great stop for your fishing needs. For a wider range of items, check out places like Roundhouse Sports or Crazy Mountain Outdoor Company. No matter where you get your equipment, make sure to care for it properly to extend its lifespan, and help save money and reduce consumption by repairing gear rather than replacing it.

Protect the Rivers You Fish On
Fishing is a popular pastime for many Bozemanites, and every fisherman and woman can help keep our waterways safe with responsible practices. In addition to knowing species and regulations, cleaning gear and watercraft to avoid the spread of invasive species, and practicing ‘leaving no trace,’ those who use our rivers can also volunteer to maintain access points, clean public spaces and help keep recreation areas functioning. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offers volunteer opportunities for all ages and internships, and the Gallatin River Task Force needs volunteers to help with education and outreach, water quality monitoring, river clean up, and more.

Keep our Waters Clean
If you prefer hanging out on top of the water instead of fishing for what’s underneath, it’s still important to recreate responsibly and give back when you can. Luckily, organizations like the Friends of Hyalite host clean-up days twice a year, and stewardship days over the summer. The Gallatin Watershed Council has volunteer opportunities from April through October, which include river restoration projects and stream health monitoring. Plus, they offer free educational tours so you can learn about how the ecosystems you recreate in sustain themselves, and how you can help them continue to. The Montana Watershed Education Network also has several volunteer opportunities for education and outreach.

Recreate Responsibly
No matter how you choose to enjoy your time outside, it’s important to practice responsible recreation. Montana Waters is a great resource for learning about the issues facing our water systems and how you can help mitigate them, as well as for providing reminders of how to practice common courtesy on Montana waters. The Be Good to Bozeman Program inspires responsible recreation by encouraging litter clean up. The program also offers education and local outreach, as well as free Visitor Volunteer Packets for those just stopping by to learn about our habitats. Recreate Responsibly is a great online resource for learning about best practices for recreating outside, and Outside Kind is a Montana organization built around encouraging ethics and kindness when using outdoor spaces. These resources are a great way to make sure you’re educated and prepared when you head into the Montana wilderness. Plus, they’ll ensure you make some great memories while helping protect wild spaces so others can, too.