GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST
BOZEMAN – Fat bikes may be one of the fastest growing winter recreational trends
in the area, and the Gallatin National Forest’s recreation staff has created a list of
recommended – and legal – areas to ride.
Pedal bikes with large frames and large tires designed for flotation and stability on snow,
fat bikes require snow compaction.
Currently, the Gallatin National Forest’s Travel Management Plan Decision from 2006
prohibits all wheeled vehicles of any type from traveling on National Forest marked or
groomed winter trail systems, including snowmobile and ski trails. This decision pre-
dated the now common occurrence of fat bikes.
The Forest plans to review the potential for accommodating this growing recreation
activity. However, travel plan amendments take into account many considerations
including safety and potential trail damage; additionally, as a public process, the
amendments involve considerable time and effort, so it is currently unknown what
administrative changes could take place.
Official winter travel routes are shown on the free Gallatin National Forest Over
Snow Vehicle Use Map, available at District offices across the Forest, and online at
fs.usda.gov/gallatin or on your smart device with the new Avenza PDF map tool. With
Avenza PDF you can download geo-referenced pdf files of Gallatin Visitor Maps, Motor
Vehicle Use Maps, and soon, the Gallatin Over Snow Vehicle Map.
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Potential fat bike routes
All of these routes may be somewhat compacted by other trail users and snowmobiles, but are
not official winter routes and as such are open to fat bikes.
West Side of the Bridgers:
Sypes Canyon (Trail #531)
Truman Gulch (Trail #535)
Middle Cottonwood (Trail #586)
Bridger Foothills trails (#534)
Johnson and Felix Canyon Road systems (Roads 2514 and 2512)
Gallatin Range:
Porcupine Creek (Trail #34)
Twin Cabin (Trail #46)
Porcupine Meadows (Trail #199)
Main Hyalite(Trail #42)
Leverich Canyon (Trail #435)
Chestnut Mountain (Trail #458)
West Pine Creek and Dry Creek road systems in the northwest end of the Paradise:
Valley (Roads 978 and 2613)
Around West Yellowstone:
Beaver Creek Road #985
Taylor Fork Road #134
Denny Creek Road #167
Contour Road #1718
