Great American Rail-Trail In Montana
Montana’s Headwaters Trail System | Photo by Scott Stark
The preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail through Montana will connect communities already well-known for their outdoor recreation assets—including Livingston, Bozeman, Three Forks, Butte and Missoula. History abounds along the route as well: The area around the state’s Great American gateway trail—the developing Headwaters Trails System in Three Forks—has a history stretching to Sacajawea and the 1804–1806 Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery expedition; and in Livingston, the Highway 89 South Pedestrian Trail travels through the original gateway town for the country’s first national park: Yellowstone.
Close collaboration with trail managers and public officials in Montana will help facilitate the creation of the 319 miles needed to complete the Great American route over the next several decades.
Montana stories along the Great American Rail-Trail
The “Great American” Route Through Montana
The Great American Rail-Trail route through Montana will connect many of the state’s communities known for outdoor recreation assets—including Livingston, Bozeman, Three Forks, Butte and Missoula—which are all along the preferred Great American route. There are currently 323 miles of trail gaps to be developed in Montana, including an off-road 50-miles-plus multiuse trail option connecting Gardiner to Livingston in Park County. Montana received a significant grant in 2025 that will help escalate momentum for planning over 140 miles of trails along the Great American in the western part of the state.
436.3
Total Miles113
Existing Miles323.3
Gap Miles25.9%
Complete
Trails Along the Route
Click the links below to view full trail descriptions of Montana’s host trails on TrailLink.com.
- Highway 89 South Pedestrian Trail
- Livingston Depot Center Trail
- Bozeman to Bridger Mountains Trail/Path to the “M” and Drinking Horse
- Story Mill Spur
- Front Street Connector
- Oak Street Trail
- North 19th Avenue Trail
- Valley Center Trail
- Jackrabbit Lane Shared-Use Path
- Manhattan to the Gallatin River Trail
- Headwaters Trail System
- Milwaukee Road Rail-Trail (Thompson Park)
Tap thumbnail to view photo gallery.
Listen To Oral History:
Gateway Trail
Headwaters Trail System
The trail connects to Missouri Headwaters State Park, where three rivers meet to form the Missouri River: the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin. This is Big Sky country, a place where the pioneering expedition of Lewis and Clark trekked during their journey across the country. Offering nearly 12 miles of trail in and adjacent to the City of Three Forks, the trail enables travelers to take in the scenery of open grasslands, distant mountains, marshlands and river valleys as they follow along portions of the old Milwaukee Road rail corridor.
Route Reveal Celebration
Completing the Great American Rail-Trail: Catalyst Initiatives in Montana
In every state along the preferred route of the Great American, needs for completing the trail vary. To spur trail completion, RTC has identified initial catalyst initiatives—projects or challenges that would most benefit from RTC’s national breadth of resources. (View the complete list of catalyst initiatives and criteria here.) Through these initiatives, RTC will support local and state partners, investing time, expertise and organizational resources in specific projects that are critical to the ultimate completion of the Great American Rail-Trail.
Great American Rail-Trail Gap #68: Highway 89 South Pedestrian Trail Extension
RTC will work with Park County and the Park County Environmental Council to define and pursue alternative routes for completing the trail, providing the necessary technical and planning assistance. Assistance will include a feasibility study and concept plan for the trail segment between Emigrant and Livingston; education and outreach within the community; a signage plan; and design, engineering and construction assistance. In addition, RTC will serve as a technical resource to Montana State Parks in the implementation of the Trails Program authorized and funded through S.B. 24 in the 2019 Montana legislative session.
Great American Rail-Trail Preferred Route
