1. Check out a Roadside Geology of Montana and go hunting for rocks around
the county.
2. Look for agates on the north side of Bear Trap.
3. Look for Hyalite opals on the tops of the mountains around Squaw Creek.
(Yes, there are spots you can find them away from Hyalite Lake.) To gather rocks
on national forest land you need a permit, which can be obtained yearly at the
Ranger Station on Huffine Lane.
4. Eat huckleberries up in the mountains (August).
5. Bike the
ever-growing valley trail system. Or walk it. Volunteer
to help with trail work.
6. Fish the Gallatin or other rivers.
7. Go camping or hiking in the forest on a full moon and listen for
coyote and wolves. Take along a flashlight or headlamp, in case.
8. Explore a cemetery and look for family names
9. Visit the Gallatin Pioneer Museum in Bozeman.
10. See at least one Laser show at Bozeman's Museum of the Rockies. (Pink Floyd is
the best!)
11. Go wading or swimming in a stream or river.
12. Check out the SOB barn for gear for hiking, camping, canoeing, skiing and many other
activities.
13. Visit the second floor of the Courthouse on Main. Check out the
funky display of
rocks,
fossils, artifacts and history.
14. Feed the ducks in MSU's duck pond.
15. Try out belly-dancing, African dancing, or drumming. Visit the drum
store in Bozeman's
Emerson Cultural Center to learn more.
16. Walk through the MSU Architecture Dept and check out the latest projects
17. Try the lunch special at a new restaurant every month.
18. Try rollerblading or dancing with roller skates on.
19. Make a kid feel special. Volunteer for CAP or Big Brothers Big Sisters.
20. See a movie at the Procrastinator Theater at MSU or the Bozeman Film
Festival,
held at the Emerson.
21. Get a cookbook and learn how to bake bread. (Second hand stores often have used bread bakers).
22. Shovel or sweep a sidewalk for someone who is homebound. (Bring some hot
chocolate or lemonade to share with them afterwards. (Call Befrienders or the
Senior Center for the address of someone near you that you can help.)
23. Walk a dog or pet a cat at
Heart of the Valley Humane Society.
24. Go trick or treating at the hospital. Bring treats to give to the children.
25. Go horseback riding. There are several places where you can join a
trail ride up
the Gallatin Canyon.
26. In Bozeman, swim a few laps in the city pool every day.
27. Drive down to West Yellowstone and view the canyon before Big Sky and
the wildlife south of Big Sky. Watch for moose, grizzlies and wolves.
28. Go to West Yellowstone in the winter and cross country ski on the
Rendezvous trail. Bike it in the summer.
29. Visit Mammoth Hot Springs in the winter after snow falls. Bring cross country
skis or snow shoes, or rent them right in Mammoth, to follow trails.
30. Do a “Trading Spaces” with someone else using finds from thrift stores or yard sales.
31. Head up in the mountains away from the valley lights, lie on the grass and look at
the stars.
32. Watch the full moon rise over the mountains. (Check out StarDate for celestial events). Or go on a full moon walk or ski
(sometimes the The Montana Wilderness Association
hosts these).
33. Plan an evening of board games, including euchre.
34. Attend the ballet, or the symphony. Can't afford it? See if they need volunteer
ushers.
35. See a play, on or off campus. There are loads of small theater companies in the Gallatin Valley.
36. Get a map of Bozeman and visit each park.
37. Learn about earthquakes in Montana.
38. Attend alcohol-free concerts at places like Bozeman's
Leaf and Bean Coffee House
or the
Community Food Co-op.
39. Float the Madison River.
40. Join or start a book club. Check what's available through your
Public Library.
41. Have a water balloon fight with friends.
42. Attend a lecture at the Museum of the Rockies.
43. Play “capture the flag.”
44. Hike Palisade Falls, a short, paved walk in the Hyalite Reservoir area
that is handicapped accessible. This gentle, half-mile trail leads to a towering
waterfall surrounded by deep woods. Take South 19th Av to Hyalite Canyon
Road. When you reach the reservoir, cross the dam and follow the dirt road
to the Palisade Falls Trailhead parking lot.
45. Hike Grotto Falls, also in Hyalite Canyon. It’s about a mile walk along an
easy, gradual grade that leads to the falls. On Hyalite Canyon Road, instead
of going right, follow the Y in the road to the left and park. For those more
adventurous, continue following the trail past Grotto Falls for a total of 7.5
miles to Hyalite Peak. It’s a fairly easy climb until the last few miles, which
are a steep climb.
46. West Shore Trail. Also in Hyalite Canyon, this 3.5 mile trail starts at
Hyalite Reservoir, goes up to Crescent Lake and loops back around to the
parking lot. An easy, entirely gradual if any uphill jaunt.
47. The M. One of Bozeman’s most visible landmarks. There are two
mile-long trails to the landmark, one with winding switchbacks and the other
a rigorously steep trek for the more ambitious. Baldy and other peaks of the
Bridger Ridge can be reached by continuing above the M. The extended,
rigorous hike takes a few hours, but the views of Bozeman Bridger Canyon
and the Gallatin Valley are dramatic.
48. Sacajawea Peak: The tallest peak in the Bridger range is summited with
a steep, two-mile climb that starts at the Fairy Lake Campground. Bridger
Canyon Drive for about 20 miles, past the Bridger Bowl ski area. Turn left on
the Fairy Lake access road and bump along the dirt road for about 8 more
miles. Follow the clearly marked trail up to the spine of the Bridgers – to the
south is the 9,670 foot Sacajawea and to the north is the 9,561 foot
Hardscrabble Peak.
49. Lava Lake: A beautiful mountain lake in the Spanish Peaks. Head south
from on Highway 191 toward Big Sky and look for the Lava Lake parking lot
to the right in Gallatin Canyon. The turnoff is just before a bridge crossing
the Gallatin River. The 3.5 mile hike follows Cascade Creek through thick
woods, past a waterfall or two and up occasional steep stretches. You
emerge from the woods at a small lake that can be covered in ice until the
middle of summer but is great fishing.
50. Southfork of the Spanish Creek: Take Highway 191 south, turn right onto Spanish
Creek Road and head through Ted Turner’s property until you hit pavement and the Forest
Service parking lot. From there, start out on a fairly flat trail for about 3 miles until you
reach the Falls Creek trail. Take Falls Creek trail to Pioneer Falls. This climb, like many
others in the area, starts out easy and gains difficulty with elevation.
51. Bear Trap Canyon: A gentle walk along the Madison River, which can be as long or
short as you would like – just turn around when you want to head back to you car. This
level trail goes for 7 miles along the Madison. It is an excellent early season hike. Drive
west of Bozeman to Four Corners and continue straight on Highway 84 for about half an
hour. Look for a sign for the Bear Trap Recreation Area near the Madison River and turn
left onto a 3 mile dirt road leading to a parking area and the trailhead. (Watch out for
rattlesnakes and poison ivy in the summer!)
52. Mount Blackmore: A hike to one of the highest peaks in the Hyalite Peaks. Take South
19th to Hyalite Canyon, drive the canyon and park at the trailhead at the north end of
Hyalite Reservoir. The 5 mile trail leads south and upward, past Blackmore Lake and then
climbs to the 10,154 foot Mount Blackmore, which offers commanding views.
53. Big Horn Peak: A long, scenic hike in Yellowstone Park. Drive to the park’s northwest
corner. Look for the Black Butte trailhead by the highway and leave your car in the nearby
parking lot. The well-marked, 7 mile hike winds through a wooded valley, then climbs
steeply to the ridge that marks the park boundary and 9,930 foot Big Horn Peak. This is
a chance to see moose and bighorn sheep. Watch out for bears.
54. Go water skiing or floating in an inner tube.
55. Work out (run, walk, lift weights). You can pay for a guest pass to most local
health clubs. Try them all!
56. Play croquet. Just setting up the course will keep you busy for awhile. Make it fun,
like miniature golf.
57. Play Hockey, or ultimate Frisbee.
58. Check out the local baseball and soft ball leagues.
59. Start a three on three basketball tournament.
60. Visit Bozeman's American Computer Museum.
61. Visit the Bozeman Public Library and MSU’s Renne Library. Luxuriate in the
written word. Sit in a comfy chair and browse magazines.
62. Take up photography and change the way you see your world. Locally-focused
photo tips are available on the website for Bozeman's F11 Photographic Supplies.
63. Take a class at Quilting in the Country on South 19th Ave, toward Highlight.
64. Help out with carpentry projects. Call Habitat for Humanity and volunteer.
65. Grow a garden. (Community gardens in the area -- contact
the City of Bozeman). Help with Eagle Mount's
garden.
66. Play a musical instrument. Bozeman Community Education often offers
beginning guitar classes.
67. Learn to crochet or knit -- Bozeman stores often loads of classes
as well as free project nights. Get social and make cool stuff, all at one
time.
68. Make a scrapbook.
69. Get involved in various groups around town (church groups, volunteer
opportunities). Learn what is possible at Volunteer Connections of Southwest
Montana.
70. Design or tie-dye t-shirts.
71. Write a song, story or poem.
72. Keep a journal or diary. The book, The Artist's Way, has great suggestions for
activities and morning pages journaling.
73. Help at the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, Salvation Army, or Soup Kitchen.
74. Visit the elderly at the nursing homes (especially around the holidays).
75. Pick a new area of town to explore each weekend.
76. Try a new place for coffee (or tea!) each week.
77. Bake a cake from scratch, or make a gourmet dinner for you and your friends.
78. Take dance lessons. Attend monthly Contra or International folk-dancing.
Check out the schedule on the
Bozeman Folklore Society website.
79. Go sailing, or canoeing, or sunbathe at the Bozeman Beach. In winter, cross-country
ski the linear trail there.
80. Learn a foreign language (check out
Bozeman Community Education
or Alliance Francais in Bozeman's Emerson Cultural Center for classes).
81. Ride the Gondola at Big Sky Ski Resort.
82. Participate in a local run or triathlon.
83. Become involved with students from a foreign country to learn about their culture. Attend MSU's International Foodfest in February, or the Pow-wow in the spring.
84. Tour the state capital, local police/fire stations, or the Gibson Guitar
company.
85. Learn sign language.
86. Try out free-style walking.
87. Look at antique or second-hand stores in rural communities like Belgrade, Three Forks, or Livingston.
88. Search back in Bozeman’s Library's archives to see what Bozeman
looked like in past years and learn about local history.
89. Try a Yoga, Pilates, aerobics or Tai Chi class. Learn to meditate.
90. June 23rd-August 22nd join in for the Friday Evening Campground Programs hosted at
the Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park Campground Amphitheater. Different presenters each
week and times do vary. Call (406) 287-3541 for information or to receive the summer's
schedule.
91. Enroll in a free, virtual
Eco-Psychology or Reconnecting with Nature
course offered by the Institute of Global Education. Learn along with folks from all over the world. De-stress. Connect.
92. Join The Montana Wilderness Association for a hike.
93. View art exhibits at Bozeman's Emerson Cultural Center.
94. Stroll Downtown Bozeman on the summer, once-a-month Friday Night Art Walk (summers). Or on any Friday night or Sunday morning.
95. Attend a summer performance of
Montana Shakespeare in the Parks.
96. Perfect your grind at the Bozeman Skate Park or visit the BMX track.
97. Learn how your government works. Attend a county or city commission meeting.
98. Grab a bench up on the trail above the library and join the folks
who gather to
watch the
sunset.
99. Visit the Bogart Park or Gallatin County Fairgrounds' summer Farmer's
Market for a
"happening" local event.
100. Check on-line local activity calendars for more ideas or subscribe to
their
e-newsletters
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