Burke Park Traverse Trail: Phase 2 Construction to Begin

National Trails Day volunteers building safety fencing on the Traverse Trail.

The City of Bozeman and GVLT will begin Phase 2 construction on the Burke Park Traverse Trail on October 6, continuing efforts to formalize and improve a long-standing social trail on the western slope of Burke Park/Peets Hill.

Phase 1

Completed earlier this summer, phase 1 focused on rerouting sections to avoid steep drop-offs, unsustainable grades, and private property—improving user safety and reducing erosion into Bozeman Creek and Church Avenue. After Phase 1 trail construction, 74 volunteers joined GVLT at our annual National Trails Day event in June to help finalize work on the improved sections, including constructing safety fencing, blocking and rehabilitating social trails, and removing vegetation from the trail corridor.

Additional volunteers joined GVLT in July to pull approximately 300 pounds of invasive weeds, primarily knapweed and hoary alyssum, while professional contractors continued weed abatement throughout Burke Park. GVLT and the City will also continue managing existing weed patches or any caused by trail work.

Phase 2

Set to begin the week of October 6, phase 2 will connect the north and south trail segments by rerouting a final section to improve trail sustainability and protect native plant species. The decommissioned section will be rehabilitated to restore native vegetation.

Work on this final segment was paused for bird nesting season, following consultation with the Sacajawea Audubon Society.

Signage has been posted throughout Burke Park to announce the upcoming trail work, which will require temporary closures on the Traverse Trail.

About the Burke Park Traverse

The Burke Park Traverse is approximately one mile long and links the Simkins Spur, Wortman Spur, and the Peets Hill sledding area. First identified in the 2003 Burke Park Master Plan, the Traverse Trail’s formal incorporation became possible after the City and GVLT acquired the 12-acre “Peets Final Piece” in 2022. The trail improvement was later included in the 2023 Burke Park Master Plan, which went through a public survey, comment, and approval process culminating in Resolution 5471, unanimously passed by the City Commission.

When complete, the entirety of the Traverse Trail will be 36 inches wide, conforming to standards for multi-use trails established by the City of Bozeman Parks, Recreation, and Active Transportation Plan. This is essentially a wide singletrack trail, providing bikers with sufficient space to put their foot down to safely stop and allow other users to pass.

The Burke Park Traverse Trail project reflects GVLT’s commitment to building sustainable trails that enable users to enjoy their activity of choice safely while minimizing the impacts on the plants, animals, and ecosystems they travel through.

For more information, please contact GVLT Trails Director Matt Parsons at matt@gvlt.org.