Winter driving in Hyalite Canyon — be informed, be prepared, be safe

By Corey Lewellen, Bob Detrick, Levi Ewan and Nicholas Ross

This guest column was originally published by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle on Dec 13, 2024. It has been republished with permission.

Who plows Hyalite Canyon Road, and how often? As winter sets in across Gallatin Valley, here’s what you need to know to enjoy this beloved recreation area safely.

Hyalite Canyon, part of the Custer Gallatin National Forest and Bozeman’s Municipal Watershed, draws thousands of winter visitors each month. Keeping the road plowed is a joint effort by Gallatin County, the U.S. Forest Service, and Friends of Hyalite.

Gallatin County handles the plowing, with 60% of costs reimbursed to the county, mostly by the Friends of Hyalite with an additional contribution by the Forest Service. Without this partnership, and the resources the partners provide, winter access up Hyalite would be dramatically different.

Hyalite Road is a Forest Service road so its maintenance is not a county responsibility. However, in this unique partnership, the county has agreed to plow Hyalite with the understanding that their primary responsibility is to first take care of county roads for their residents.

This means Hyalite Road is plowed only after higher-priority county roads are addressed, resulting in irregular and often delayed maintenance. Hyalite visitors should always expect winter conditions and not assume that the road will get plowed immediately after every storm. Check out the Friends of Hyalite Facebook page every Friday for road condition reports.

Hyalite Road runs parallel to Hyalite Creek and Reservoir, which provides a significant portion of the city’s drinking water. Due to the sensitivity of the watershed and downstream treatment plant, traction remedies like sand and salt aren’t allowed, so the road will likely remain icy throughout the winter even with plowing.

As a result, always drive cautiously and at slower speeds in Hyalite; snow tires or studded tires are recommended on all vehicles.

Passing snowplows can be dangerous; wait until it’s safe as plows often work in tandem and require operating room. If parking lots aren’t yet plowed, park on the edges of the lot and know that you might get plowed in. There is limited or no cell service in Hyalite. Always inform someone of your plans and pack essentials like winter clothing, food, water, blankets, and emergency supplies.

Please don’t burn pallets in parking lots or at trailheads. These fires are prohibited in Hyalite by a Forest Service Special Order due to resource damage. They can damage the asphalt of the parking lots and the burned pallets leave hundreds of nails, which can lead to flat tires on vehicles and cause expensive damage to snowplows. County snowplows will not clear parking lots and trailheads if pallet fire debris is present.

Together we can ensure safe winter access to this incredible area by respecting the road conditions, snowplow operations, and public safety.

Corey Lewellen is the Custer Gallatin National Forest Bozeman district ranger, Bob Detrick is the president of Friends of Hyalite, Levi Ewan is the Gallatin County engineer, and Nicholas Ross is the City of Bozeman transportation & engineering director.