The Gallagator Trail: Your Backdoor Path to MSU

Written By Kendall Levinson

Main Street Memos
A Local’s Guide to Bozeman
Post No. 1 — The Gallagator Trail: Your Backdoor Path to MSU

Alright, it’s official name is the Gallagher Trail. I don’t even remember where I heard “Gallagator” for the first time but it seems to be widely accepted as the nickname for this straight-through-town, not uphill trail that is full of bikers, runners, strollers, and dog-walkers on any given day.

And heads up, the longer you live in Bozeman, the more likely it is you’ll bump into someone you know while walking on on this trail. For better or for worse.

For the Bozo newbies, yes, you should do the trail nod to people you pass. Ya know, the one where you purse your lips and tip your head down a touch.

Just acknowledge your fellow human’s existence please, trust me it’s a thing.

This might be one of the few trails in Montana that doesn’t have a lot of elevation gain! It’s more of a connector trail for than a destination trail, and more vibe than hike. It’s flat, friendly, and full of quiet small-town town joy.

The trail starts just a few blocks from our front door and winds north through the trees, popping you out within easy walking distance of Montana State University. Skip the traffic, ditch the parking pass hassle, and bike or stroll to campus in about 15 minutes flat.

And the Gallagator? It’s just one stretch of Bozeman’s incredible Main Street to the Mountains trail system—a vast network of paths that lets you bike, walk, or wander from downtown to the wild. Big shoutout to the Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT), the local heroes who protect these trails, build new ones, and make it easy for all of us to stay connected to the landscape we love.

This isn’t just a shortcut—it’s a reset button. Between meetings, or lunch plans, the Gallagator gives you a slice of quiet that makes you remember why you came to Bozeman in the first place.

Stops along the way:

  • Public LIbrary

  • There’s a cozy nook near a creek with a bench under the big Cottonwood trees - take a soft right just after the bridge if you enter the trailhead off Church Ave

  • The Climbing Wall

  • Kagy Corner Store

Local tip: Stop at Kagy Corner Store for a Wilcoxsons Ice Cream, then walk it off.

It’s not about the mileage here—it’s about the rhythm. Gallagator is where errands turn into meanders, and where the birds, the breeze, and the neighbors might just convince you to cancel your flight home.

Kendall Levinson