Where Can I Fatbike?
Beaver ponds on Storm Castle Creek, accessible via fatbike on the Storm Castle Road.
Montana has wildly different conditions, access, recreation types, and management regulations across the seasons. In low-snow periods of winter, fatbiking has become popular, but it can be tricky to figure out what places are legal and feasible to ride. Before December 1st, access is identical to the mountain bike situation you know from summer. After December 1st, there are likely impassable roads, snowmobiles, and trails designated for skiing only.
In general, two rules for the area apply, with exceptions:
Don’t bike on ski trails.
If a snowmobile can go there, it’s probably packed down and a fat bike can go there.
The overall Gallatin OSVUM is an overview of these two concepts on USFS land. The following will describe some areas which are actually good for fatbiking, not just where they are allowed.
Bozeman:
Town trails which aren’t groomed for skiing are bikeable. Gallagator and Glen Lake are good starting points. The golf course and the majority of Highland Glen are groomed for ski only. Peet’s Hill can be connected to Painted Hills.
Moser:
Park at the bottom and ride the road left at your first junction, snowmobile area shown in red below. SWMMBA will groom in certain conditions. Leverich is allowed, but rarely accessible in winter. No Kirk Hill from the north, and no Racecourse/Sourdough.
Bridger/Bangtail Ranges:
Olsen Creek Rd south to Stone Creek on snowmobile tracks. West side Bridger trails. Sypes and Middle Cottonwood are likely to be steep and slippery, but you never know. The others have a more favorable grade.Copper City/Lewis and Clark Caverns. Only when frozen, plan to ride first thing in the morning.
Crosscut Mountain Sports Center has two groomed loops for fatbiking, likely to be the best fatbike conditions on any given day.
Gateway/Canyon:
Little Bear is wide open but likely to have a lot of snowmobile traffic. Spanish Creek Road. Storm Castle Road to Rat Lake. To support Gallatin Valley Snowmobile Assoc, join their club.
Big Sky:
Meadow trails are groomed by BSCO and are good for fat bikes.
East:
Goose Creek road. Jackson Creek (South of the Bangtail Divide). Mill Creek Rd and Wicked Creek area.
Farther away:
Thompson Park, groomed for fatbike as conditions allow.
Acton, likely to be melt-freeze only, ride first thing before they thaw.
Helena, South Hills has a longer season where riding is possible but can get too deep some winters.
This list is not exhaustive, but represents a good start. Conditions vary wildly hour to hour and day to day. Because of the low snow so far in 2023-24, SWMMBA has not been grooming, and even the Gallatin Valley Snowmobile Association has just started getting out. Be prepared to push your bike or turn around if conditions do not allow for riding. Embrace the adventure!