Bozeman News

Southwest Montana’s Guide to Cross Country Skiing

Ski Trails of Southwest Montana

By Alison Grey, 12-22-07

When Melynda Harrison moved to Southwest Montana, she searched area bookstores for a guide book detailing the region’s cross-country skiing trails. She realized there weren’t any. So, Harrison set out on a mission to visit all the area trails and write her own guide book about where to go cross-country skiing.

“I had a great guide book about cross-country ski trials in Jackson Hole,” she said. “When I moved to the Bozeman area looking for something similar, and I realized there wasn’t anything.”

Her book, Ski Trails of Southwest Montana, details the top 30 cross country and snowshoe trails in Big Sky, Bozeman and the Paradise Valley.

With winter well-under way, it’s the ideal time to break out the Nordic gear and get out into the seemingly limitless outdoor paradise in our backyard. We asked Harrison to detail a few her favorite spots, and while narrowing them down was a bit difficult, here are her favorites:

Bozeman and Big Sky

South Cottonwood Creek

Harrison recommends heading up to this spot during the weekdays, before the weekend crowd descends on this popular trail that follows and crosses over a meandering creek and offers beautiful views up the canyon and, if you’re lucky, spot a moose. There are enough ups and downs to keep it interesting, but is mellow enough for intermediate skiers to enjoy. About six miles up, you will reach the History Rock Trail Junction, and your distance is basically limited by how far you want to go.

Getting there: From Bozeman, head west on Huffine, take a left on Cottonwood Creek Road and go 7.6 miles until you hit Cottonwood Canyon Road. Take a left and follow the road to the parking lot.

Swan Creek

In the summer, Sawn Creek is swamped the blaring hums of atvs and motorized vehicles, but Harrison said that in the winter, it is much more calm. For three miles, this single track trail follows Swan Creek through willow patches and past beaver dams, with little ups and downs but not a great deal of elevation gain. And, with other connecting trails, one can have limitless exploration.

Getting there: From Bozeman, head to Four Corners and take a left, going south on Highway 191. Drive 25 miles and look for the Swan Creek Trailhead on the left. Park right off the side of the road and ski 1.5 miles to the trailhead.

Tepee Creek

The perfect ski for kids and beginners, Tepee Creek is a fairly flat, wide open area with lodge poles, sage brush and plenty of sun, and kids can play on the gentle hills alongside the trails. With access to Yellowstone Park, you can venture into its boundaries. For Harrison, it’s a great option because it gives you the Yellowstone experience, but if you have a dog, you can avoid entering the Park.

Getting There: From Bozeman, head to Four Corners where you’ll take a left going south on Highway 191. Drive 49.8 miles, about 16 miles past Big Sky, and look for the Tepee Creek trail sign on the left. Drive about 100 yards up the dirt road to the parking lot.

Paradise Valley

Bear Creek Trail System

Just above the old mining town of Jardine, there are a series of trails groomed for classic skiing. Harrison loves this spot because it is full of possibilities with several different trails and loops that link up to other trails, making it an interesting ski. Close to Yellowstone National Park, you can also get great Park views of the Mammoth Terraces, Bunsen Peak, Mount Holmes and Electric Peak.

Getting There: From Gardiner, veer left on a dirt road just before the Yellowstone Bridge where you’ll head 5.4 miles to Jardine. Turn left over the bridge in the middle of town and head 1.7 miles to Bear Creek Road, where you can begin skiing on the road, about 4 miles, until you hit the trail system.

Mill Creek

The biggest drainage in the Absaroka Range, Mill Creek is a beautiful destination that offers three trail options. East Dam Creek, which Harrison recommends for intermediate to advanced skiers, winds up above the creek along a steep hillside, amongst juniper and firs, giving you a great view of the Absarokas. Passage Falls takes you to a huge, frozen waterfall, 9.6 miles up the trail. Harrison recommends that you walk the last switchbacks to the falls, as the trail ends abruptly at a steep drop-off and is hard to ski. The last option is the Snow Bank Road, the more mellow of three, where you can simply ski as far as you want.

Getting There: From Livingston, drive south on Highway 89 for 15 miles. Look for the Mill Creek Road sign and turn left over a bridge, where you will follow the road 11.25 miles to the gate.

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