Bridger-Crosscut bike trails open to the public

More than seven miles of fresh trail now stretches throughout Bridger Bowl and Crosscut — built not just for riders, but for the spirit of Bozeman itself. 

“I’ve been riding these Bozeman trails for years, but this feels like a whole new chapter,” said Tess Calder, a Bozeman local. “They have attitude. You can tell it was built by people who actually ride — I love it.”

On Sept. 7, the Bridger-Crosscut trails officially opened to the public, offering mountain bikers brand new terrain just outside of Bozeman. The trail system ranges from multi-directional green routes to challenging features and a downhill-only blue freeride singletrack. 

Bozeman's mountain bike community has anticipated the launch since the project was announced, and early reviews prove the wait was worth it.  

Crosscut Mountain Sports Center, Bridger Bowl and The Dirt Concern — Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association (SWMMBA)’s Bozeman chapter — led planning for the new trails. The Bozeman community rallied behind the effort, working together to fund, collaborate and enhance local outdoor recreation. 

Since January, the organizations have raised more than $300,000 to support the project through 448 community donations, according to The Dirt Concern website.    

“This has been a plan that's kind of been a dream for years. But [The Dirt Concern] finally started talking to us and Bridger Bowl a couple years ago about making it come to fruition,” said Mitch Harris, Crosscut’s director of trails and grooming. “We just had to make sure that these things [were] sort of thoughtfully conveyed to the trail builders, which went quite well. Everyone was great to work with and really receptive.” 

Companies Double Cut LLC, DeWolf and Terraflow also played key roles in the design and construction of the new trail system. Each organization was responsible for building specific segments and handling technical planning for the diverse terrain, according to the SWMMBA website. 

The Bridger-Crosscut system has three new trails: Golden Rule, Big Thigh Country and Gnomadic. Golden Rule — a green-rated, beginner-friendly trail — is multidirectional and winds through scenic, forested creeks and over gentle rolling hills. It was named in tribute to Bozeman local Bob Rule, an avid mountain biker and beloved community member, according to Bridger Bowl and Crosscut Mountain Sports Center websites.

Big Thigh Country is another beginner-friendly, green multidirectional trail. The name is a playful nod to Montana's Big Sky Country title. Riders pedal through gentle hills lined with wildflowers and bushes of huckleberries, according to the SWMMBA website.

Mitch Harris says Gnomadic — a challenging, downhill-only blue trail — is the most distinctive of the three Bridger-Crosscut routes. “I think that's because it's the most unique, meaning that we don't have anything else like that around us until you get to Big Sky,” Harris said. “Not a lot of places are lucky enough to have as much of that as we have.” 

Gnomadic — a progressive freeride trail — was designed with intermediate riders in mind, according to Crosscut’s website. The trail is named after the Bridger-Crosscut mascot, the trail gnome. Gnomadic features four distinct sections or ‘lands’ — Warm-Up Land, FeatureLand, Zoomies Land and Land of Lift Off.  

The trailhead for the system begins at Crosscut's D parking lot and leads up to Bridger Bowl’s Alpine Cabin. Riders are encouraged to always wear a helmet and respect uphill traffic on multi-directional trails.  

“I’ve ridden all over Montana, but these trails feel different—they’re built with heart,” said Jackson Thompson, a Bozeman local and avid weekend rider. “It’s cool to see something this good come straight from our own backyard.” 

For more information on the terrain, or to access trail maps, visit https://www.southwestmontanamba.org/bridger-bowl-crosscut-trails.