A bull moose has been spending his mornings in the handicap-accessible port-a-potty at the Hyalite Canyon trailhead, and regulars say he keeps it cleaner than most weekend users.

The moose, estimated at 1,100 pounds and unbothered by human concepts of privacy, arrived three weeks ago and has shown no interest in the other facilities. He prefers the one with the handrail.

“He’s got a routine,” said Dale Henderickson, 54, of Belgrade, who has been hiking the Palisade Falls trail every Tuesday since 2003. “Shows up around 6:30, settles in until the tour buses hit at nine. Then he moves to the shade by the creek. Polite about it. Doesn’t even knock the toilet paper over.”

Gallatin National Forest spokesperson Marnie Kettlewell confirmed the moose is “utilizing infrastructure in an unanticipated but low-impact manner.” She advised visitors to give him 25 yards and not to feed him trail mix, which someone already tried last Thursday.

The situation has created an unusual parking dynamic. The lot fills by 7 a.m. now, partly from hikers and partly from people who just want to see the moose in the port-a-potty. Three vehicles were ticketed Tuesday for parking in the pull-through meant for horse trailers.

“I drove up from Four Corners at 5:45 to beat the crowd,” said Jenna Mohlke, 29, who moved here from Denver eighteen months ago and considers herself a local. “The moose was already in there. Just standing. Looking at me like I was late.”

Forest Service personnel have placed a temporary sign: “Moose Occupied — Please Use Alternate Facility.” The alternate facility is a twenty-minute walk down the road and lacks a handrail.

Henderickson says the moose has improved trailhead etiquette. “Nobody plays music on their phone anymore. Nobody lets their dog off leash. We all just whisper and move around him. It’s the quietest July I can remember.”

The moose was last seen bedding down near the interpretive sign about leave-no-trace principles.