Bozeman

Hiking: Bozeman boasts 100s of miles of hiking trails in and around town. The 'M' trail is one of the most popular trails and only 10minutes from town. AllTrails is a great resource to look up trails and filter by difficulty. Bozeman is at 4,817′ elevation, so you may need to take it slower than usual.If walking on trails where bears frequent, carry bear spray ina holster and keep it easily accessible. Make sure you know how to use it. Bear spray can be rented at a number of locations downtown. MSU has a great site on bear safety if you wish to learn more. 

Hyalite Canyon: just 30 minutes from Bozeman, Hyalite Canyon is a stunning mountain valley recreation area between Gallatin Canyon and Paradise Valley, south of Bozeman. Snow may be present on trails in June.

Montana Grizzly Encounter: Montana Grizzly Encounter is a Grizzly Bear Rescue and Education Sanctuary only a 15minute drive from downtown Bozeman.  Visitors can observe bears up close in a beautiful mountain setting. In the viewing area, you'll observe one of the rescue bears enjoying their time in the habitat, and a staff member will be present to provide education on the origins and needs of the rescue bears, bear safety protocols, and general bear knowledge. 

Hot Springs: Nearby built up hot springs include Bozeman Hot Springs (15min drive), Norris Hot Springs (40min drive), Yellowstone Hot Springs (70min drive, on the way to the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park)

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Yellowstone National Park

Located just 89 miles from MSU, Yellowstone National Park is the worlds first national park and boasts 2.2million acres of wilderness recreation area atop a volcanic hot spot. Yellowstonefeatures dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, hot springs and gushing geysers, including its most famous, Old Faithful. It's also home to hundreds of animal species, including bears, wolves, bison, elk and antelope. If you plan on hiking, make sure to bring bear spray.

North entrance access: drive through beautiful Paradise Valley on your way to the Gardiner Entrance. Attractions along the way include Chico Hot Springs, Sage Lodge, Yellowstone Hot Springs.

West entrance access: drive through Gallatin Canyon and pass Big Sky. The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is in the town of West Yellowstone, where you will find the west entrance to the park.

Alternate access to Yellowstone: drive the Beartooth Highway from Red Lodge MT to Yellowstone (2024 opening date: 01 June. Make sure to check the 2025 opening date!) Dubbed “the most beautiful roadway in America” by On the Road correspondent Charles Kuralt, the Beartooth Highway climbs consists of 20 peaks over 12,000 feet in elevation (including Granite Peak, Montana’s highest at 12,799 feet),  and lie within the 943,377-acre Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Grizzly and black bears make their home here, as do elk, deer, moose, bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goats, mountain lions and bobcats. With over 950 alpine lakes and hundreds of miles of trails, these mountains offer ample opportunities for recreation – much of it accessible from the Beartooth Highway. If it is a good snow year, Beartooth Basin Summer Ski Area might also be open!

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Glacier National Park (5hr drive from Bozeman)

Glacier National Park is a 1,583-sq.-mi. wilderness area in Montana's Rocky Mountains, with glacier-carved peaks and valleys running to the Canadian border. Ashowcase of melting glaciers, alpine meadows, carved valleys, and spectacular lakes, Glacier has over 700 miles of trails and is a paradise for adventurous visitors seeking a landscape steeped in human culture. Relive the days of old through historic chalets, lodges, and the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road. If you plan on hiking, make sure to bring bear spray.