A guide to outdoor clubs at MSU

It’s no secret that Bozeman is a hotbed for outdoor recreation. Surrounded by thousands of acres of mountains, rivers and everything in between, the town has always attracted those with an appetite for exploration. MSU students are no exception, and several student-led clubs have made it their mission to get the most out of their time inBig Sky country.

One group is the MSU fly fishing club, better known as the “Bozo Trout Bums.” Southwest Montana has long been a hub for anglers and the Trout Bums aim to take full advantage of their proximity to globally renowned fishing sites. 

“MSU isn’t very far from some huge destination rivers,” said Wyatt Shinn,  fourth

year student and club co-president. “People come from all over the world to fish the Madison, Yellowstone and Gallatin.”

In addition to fishing outings, the Trout Bums organize float trips and camping nights on the rivers and more. “We do fly-tying nights instead of meetings. It’s much more laid back.”

For those who prefer the roar of a six-cylinder to the swish of a fly rod, there’s the 4x4 club at MSU. Hundreds of miles of forest service road surround Bozeman provide a playground for students eager to get their trucks, dirt bikes and jeeps dirty. “We explore around Bozeman and Montana,” said Matt Lamb, a sophomore club member. “It only takes about 20 minutes to get out into the wilderness and not see anyone.”

When they’re not crawling up Flathead Pass in the Bridger Mountains or ripping around Revenue Flats in the Madison River Valley, the club spends time helping preserve and protect the land they recreate on. Every year, they participate in the “Friends of Hyalite'' clean-up, a volunteer event that aims to keep the popular recreation area of Hyalite Canyon pristine. “I liked it because I got to meet new people and do something good to help the trails,” Lamb said about the event.

One of the largest student organizations at MSU has one goal: empower female and non-binary students to be leaders in outdoor recreation. The Women’s Outdoor Adventure Club self-styled as the “Backcountry Squatters” was established almost a decade ago and has made enormous advancements in promoting safe and responsible outdoor recreation. 

The club’s inception arose out of a group of MSU students’ discontent with the marginalization of women in outdoor recreation. “Being one woman in a group of men can be really intimidating,” said Emily Wiley, a senior club member. “The club started because students didn't feel like they could vocalize what they needed to be safe in the backcountry. We're trying to break down the barriers to be able to do what we want.”

Over its nine years of existence, the Backcountry Squatters club has sought to bring women together in the outdoors and provide them with the necessary tools to recreate safely. “We’ve offered an intro to fly fishing clinic, an intro to mountain biking clinic, companion rescue courses, wilderness first-aid courses, and avalanche-awareness courses,” Wiley said. “We were founded on the idea of educating and connecting people. Once they have that foundation of knowledge, they have the resources to go out and have fun.”

Whether they are tethered to a rock wall high in the Bridgers or waist-deep in the cold water of the Madison with a fly rod in  hand, MSU students are unified by their urge to explore the mountains and wilderness of Southwest Montana. For more information on the clubs featured in this article and to see a full list of the student organizations at MSU, check out montanastate.campuslabs.com/engage/organizations.