The Gallatin Range stretches all the way from Western Montana in a southerly direction towards Wyoming. More than half the range lies in Gallatin National Forest, and its southern regions are encompassed by the north-western quarter of Yellowstone National Park.
The Gallatin Range has a striking effect on the landscape with its combination of sharply rising peaks and craggy ridges. Surrounded by expansive alpine plateaus and steep, dividing canyons, the range is clothed with forests and abundant with creeks and waterfalls.
It contains over ten mountains with elevations past the 10,000 feet mark, and the highest peak is in Northwest Yellowstone. The entire length of the range extends 75 miles north to south with an average breadth of 20 miles.
The Gallatin Range equals 500,000 acres of unbroken natural mountain environment flanked to the east by the Yellowstone River. It has featured historically in the region in that Native Americans used the mountains for hunting long before the arrival of Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery just to the north.
Certainly, fur trappers would also have explored most corners of the range during their heyday, and the mountain range’s moniker was awarded by Lewis and Clark after a long-serving treasury secretary named Albert Gallatin.
A unique feature of the Gallatin Range lies in the fact that it helps make up the north-western part of the Absaroka-Gallatin volcanic field, which contains various features of volcanic-related origin. The volcanic activity left behind the Petrified Forest, complete with petrified trees that occurred due to the flow of lava and ash somewhere in the region of 50 million years ago.
The southern section of the Gallatin’s lies inside Yellowstone National Park, and as such is protected as a kind of wilderness area, although never formally designated as such. There are three large areas devoid of roads within this region, namely the Gallatin Divide Roadless Area, the Gallatin Fringe Roadless Area, and the Hyalite Roadless Area.
These three together make up the core of the 200,000 acres-plus of potential wilderness. More than 150,000 acres of that have been under the protection of the Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area since 1977.
Gallatin Range Mountains Stats
- Approximately 525,000 acres
- Highest Peak—10,969 feet (Electric Peak)
- Accessible year-round
Recreation in the Gallatin Range
As you would imagine the recreation in and around the range is outstanding in terms of hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, camping, and mountaineering. All the streams are really good spots for some decent native trout fishing, and the Yellowstone and Gallatin Rivers are top-destination fly-fisheries and notable white-water locations.
On top of that this entire region is almost synonymous with elk, so if you are interested in hunting you will find high success rates. The closer you are to Yellowstone the more weather-dependent the hunting becomes, as winter storms drive the elk out of Yellowstone Park the hunting in these areas goes up a notch or two.
Fishing
The Gallatin River originates in the Gallatin Range and finds its way to Yellowstone National Park, then Big Sky and Bozeman. This is one of the most picturesque rivers in Montana and offers ease of access all along. Anglers in the Gallatin are consistently presented with opportunities for different trout varieties from early spring through late fall.
If you fancy some lake fishing head on up to the Hyalite Canyon Road to fish Bozeman’s Hyalite Reservoir. It is only a short drive from town, but nevertheless, the man-made lake is still tucked away nicely in the high Gallatin Mountains.
Great fly fishing opportunities exist for those both wading and float angling on the lake. The lake has a continuous presence of trout and grayling. The fish come out of the lake in decent sizes, and this lake is also a year-round option.
Hiking and Fishing–Golden Trout Lakes Trail
The Gallatin Range is an ideal spot for real men who believe hiking to the lake of their choice before taking up their rod is the way to salvation. Quite a few trails to lakes are favored in this region by anglers who make the best of both worlds.
This trail is a 5-mile out and back hike that leads up to a stunning alpine lake. The Golden Trout Lakes Trail (Trail #89) is located up Portal Creek in the Gallatin Canyon, and it features a few small ponds as it weaves through spruce and pine. You’ll pass the Hidden Lakes Trail Cut-off Trail along this route.
If you take this trail for 1.8 miles you can connect to the Hidden Lakes Trail. You keep left for Golden Trout Lakes Trail, climbing steadily uphill for another 1.6 miles before passing a large meadow. You’ll come to another steep stretch before it levels off for the final approach to the lake.
The trail ends at Golden Trout Lakes on the northern slopes of Eaglehead Mountain, which is close to 10,000 feet in elevation. The Golden Trout Lake is actually just one of 3 lakes in the area. A couple of several well-established campgrounds exist along the shores of the lakes, and from here it is a relatively short adventure to get to the other lakes.
Camping
The Gallatin National Forest regions contain plenty of campgrounds with unique and scenic surroundings. Some of the campgrounds, like Colter and Eagle Creek, are located near Yellowstone Park. You’ll find a lot of camping closer to Bozeman, Big Sky, and Gallatin canyon like the two examples:
Battle Ridge Campground is on the east side of the Bridger Mountains near Bozeman and has 13 sites. There are no real amenities here by way of water or toilets but the site is free.
Fairy Lake Campground is also in the Bridger Mountains of Bozeman and has 9 sites on a first-come, first-served basis. Again there are no amenities to speak of but these campgrounds fill up quickly during weekends and other peak times. This site does have a toilet and available water between July and September.
Wildlife
The Gallatin Range is a grizzly bear stomping ground, so keep an eye out for them along with a few other forms of native wildlife like mountain goats, mountain lions, mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and a few wolves here and there. You could spot bison, moose, antelope, and black bears around so always be on the lookout.
Grizzly bears also feature at the north end of the range with Casey Anderson’s Montana Grizzly Encounter.
Hiking Trails in the Gallatin Range
