Trails on The Bozeman Daily Bee

BEE Investigation: Public Trails Add Barbed-Wire Amenities

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:30:00 +0000

JEFFERSON COUNTY - Reports of barbed wire being strung across public trails in Jefferson County have prompted patrols, warnings and a new round of local reflection on whether Montana recreation has become too frictionless.

Authorities say riders and trail users have found wire placed across routes in the Pipestone area, a maneuver that adds suspense to public-land access while technically preserving the outdoors’ longstanding commitment to consequence. Officials were less philosophical. They called it dangerous, intentional and very much not the kind of obstacle users are expected to clear on instinct.

The Snakes Are Using the Trail Correctly

Sun, 31 May 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Each spring, wildlife experts gently remind us that warmer weather brings more snakes onto Montana trails. Each spring, many hikers respond as though this is an outrageous breach of customer service. I would like to state for the record that the snakes are not the ones misunderstanding the arrangement.

The trail does not belong exclusively to the person with trekking poles, a performance fleece and three opinions about bear spray. It also runs through the habitat of creatures that have somehow persisted despite our increasingly decorative understanding of the outdoors. A snake crossing a path is not making a statement. It is merely being present in the exact kind of place where we claim to want nature.

BEE Investigation: Trails Still Powered by Volunteers

Sun, 31 May 2026 07:20:00 +0000

BOZEMAN - A Bee investigation has found that many of the Gallatin Valley’s beloved trails continue to rely on volunteers with shovels, gloves and suspiciously positive attitudes, despite the area’s broader reputation for monetizing nearly every other available square foot.

Gallatin Valley Land Trust hosted its annual National Trails Day event this weekend, drawing residents out in gray weather to repair tread, clear debris and tend to the public pathways that help make local life feel morally superior. Participants described the work as stewardship. Investigators described it as one of the valley’s last major systems still operating on the premise that enough people might show up out of love.