From a Simple Idea to 12 Miles of Trail: The Story of Headwaters
Gene Townsend
By Whitney Bermes, Gallatin County Communications Coordinator
Nearly 30 years ago, Gene Townsend was doing something he loved: wandering the ponds and rivers around his hometown of Three Forks. On those walks, he noticed something. A lot of other people were out enjoying the same beautiful spaces, but there was one big problem—no trails.
“It was tough for people,” Townsend said recently during a break from making food at the Three Forks Rodeo.
Inspired by the trail networks he’d seen in nearby communities like Bozeman, Gene and his wife, Pat, began imagining something similar for Three Forks. That vision took a big step forward when Gene spotted a small newspaper ad for a grant program. He applied and ultimately secured $10,000. With a $4,000 match from his employer, the local talc plant, the dream started to take shape.
What began as an idea and a modest grant has grown, one donation, one fundraiser, one grant at a time, into a 12-mile network of paved trails that wind through Three Forks, reaching all the way to Missouri Headwaters State Park and the Droulliard Fishing Access on the Jefferson River. It’s a resource for runners and bikers, walkers and wheelchair users, young families and seasoned adventurers alike.
Building it has been a true grassroots effort. Townsend lights up when talking about the community partnerships that made the project possible: local businesses that gave generously, coworkers who hauled and reengineered a bridge from Billings, and the countless volunteers who pitched in along the way.
“It never would’ve happened without the people of Three Forks,” Townsend said. “Pat and I may have helped start it, but we always had the community behind us.”
One key partner in recent years has been Gallatin County’s Open Lands Program.
For most of its 25-year history, this voter-approved program has helped protect over 57,000 acres of private land—ranches, farms, wildlife habitat, and scenic open space. But in response to consistent public feedback and the verbiage included on the 2018 ballot, the county began expanding the program’s scope in 2021 to include a separate application category for projects on public lands or that provide public access.
“We've done a great job of providing a lasting legacy with Open Lands dollars for conservation projects, and we’re hoping to have significant impacts in other areas as well by providing publicly accessible improvements,” said Sean O’Callaghan, who leads the Gallatin County Open Lands Program.
This expanded funding category—called “other eligible projects”—supports initiatives led by local governments, nonprofits, and HOAs that align with the program’s mission: enhancing recreation, protecting water and habitat, and supporting sustainable growth. In the last five years alone, over $2.5 million has gone to dozens of projects across Gallatin County, from trail development and park improvements to stream restoration and land acquisition.
“They really run the gamut,” O’Callaghan said.
The Headwaters Trail System has received multiple grants through this expanded effort, which Townsend calls nothing short of essential.
“It’s a godsend. It really is,” he said. “I’ve always been so appreciative.”
Thanks to those funds, the trail has stayed in good shape through routine maintenance like mowing, weed trimming, and gopher repair. Grants have also enabled recent trail expansions toward Logan, and essential upkeep like crack sealing and seal coating on several miles of pavement.
Townsend’s dream is still unfolding. He hopes to one day extend the trail all the way to Manhattan, working in tandem with the Manhattan Trails System. And he’s got his eye on adding another bridge.
Thanks to his vision, and a community willing to walk the path with him, the trails keep growing.
This is the third in a five-article series presented by Gallatin Valley Land Trust and Gallatin County to celebrate the Gallatin County Open Lands Program and its significant impact in the region.