Nine Miles of Bliss—The Yellowstone Shortline Trail
Photo courtesy of Melissa Alder
By Elin Hert, GVLT Development & Office Administrator
Gallatin County Open Lands Funding for the Win
For those who love to walk, hike, and bike, it’s a real gift to discover a newly built trail in your proverbial backyard. When I read about a ribbon cutting for the Yellowstone Shortline Trail in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle last June, I was super excited to check it out. In July, I took that opportunity, and be it the weather, company, picturesque bridges, interesting interpretive signs, smooth, curvy, blacktop, less-than-1% grade, or simply venturing out to ride something new—cruising along that path was sheer delight!
We have Union Pacific’s E.H. Harriman to thank for the stretch of tracks that ran from Monida, Montana, to West Yellowstone, bringing people to the entrance to Yellowstone National Park for more than 50 years, from 1907 to 1960. And there’s a huge host of others to thank for the Yellowstone Shortline Trail that has taken the railway’s place.
It was nothing short of a 25-year labor of love, persistence, and dedication that culminated in the Yellowstone Shortline Trail. Key to pushing the project from vision to completion were Melissa Alder and Kelli Hart, owners of West Yellowstone’s popular bike and ski shop, Free Heel ‘n Wheel. The two business partners conceived of the idea while on a mountain bike ride with a group of local West Yellowstone women, who came upon the 40-years-abandoned railroad bed, only to discover that it was beautiful and rideable.
“We marveled at the beauty and solitude this old railroad bed had, and didn’t want to see all the historical work that had been done rot away,” explains Melissa. We decided to make efforts to revitalize the corridor and bring the railroad bed back to life.”
And there the Yellowstone Shortline journey began.
Over the next 20-plus years, Melissa and Kelli presented their idea and offered tours of the trail to five or six district rangers, most in favor, but none dedicating the time necessary for making something happen. Finally, in 2018, District Manager Jason Brey agreed—the Yellowstone Shortline could become a legacy trail for the community of West Yellowstone. With this exciting nod from the US Forest Service, headway began in earnest… loads of administrative work, environmental analysis, formal approval of the project, formation of a Yellowstone Shortline Trail Committee, fundraising guidance from Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development, and fiscal sponsorship from the Yellowstone Historic Center. The project was further propelled by countless local donations and grants, including $100,000 from the Gallatin County Open Lands Program and a Great American Outdoors Act grant, which took the trail surface up a notch, from gravel to pavement.
Today, meandering through Custer Gallatin National Forest along the South Fork of the Madison River for nine miles from West Yellowstone to the Montana-Idaho State Line, the non-motorized Yellowstone Shortline Trail boasts three beautiful bridges and interpretive signs every mile. Melissa describes it as “A truly magical escape into the forest, just minutes from town. A rolling and strolling museum.” The trail has already proven to be a coveted gem for the community, with use from all ages and abilities. Every day, from sunrise to sunset, there are dozens of residents walking or riding the trail, as well as school groups and athletes in training. A Forest Service trail counter tallied 1,500 users in May, 2,000 in June, and 3,000 in July.
As word gets out, the Yellowstone Shortline is sure to become a destination for travelers and a true legacy for the West Yellowstone community.
The Details
Trail Length: 8.8 miles one way (17.6 out and back)
Grade: Maximum 1%
Cross Slope: 0%
Trail Width: 10 feet
Surface Type: Paved asphalt with no obstacles