Hyalite Canyon Access

Some of you have probably heard that access to ice climbing in Hyalite Canyon is in jeopardy.

In short, the US Forest Service has released a winter travel plan that will effectively close the road to the upper Hyalite watershed that Bozeman residents and visitors have used to access ice for over 30 years. If the plan goes ahead climbers will be forced to add 4+ miles each way to their approaches. Basically, we're getting the shaft because the USFS has determined that ice climbing is not a "family oriented" activity.

Montana is pretty much absent from this website, but people travel from around the globe to climb at Hyalite so I thought I'd slum for a little help here. If you get out here once a season, once a decade or just hope to check it out someday, please take a few minutes to fill out the survey found at hyalitecanyon.com. At this point solid support from the climbing community is about the only chance we have of changing the situation.

Thanks,

Bryan

thanks for the heads-up Bryan - consider it done and request passed on to others

Not to discourage people from filling out the survey (quite the opposite - do it now!), but doesn't this issue come up about every 5-10 years and just kind of pendulum from one side to the other?

Merk, it's true that we've been awaiting a Forest Service travel plan for several years now. Unfortunately they recently released the final version and the future of climbing in Hyalite took a major hit. As it now stands the road closure will begin next season. Unless we are able to persuade the Forest Service otherwise this is the last winter we will have the traditional access to the upper reaches of the canyon.

A big thanks to all that are filling out the survey!

I filled out the survey. Bryan, I understand your frustrations there is an area of the South Platte that I've been trying to get the climbing community to pressure the Forest Service into reopening. It is the Top of the World road and it has been closed for over ten years because of a fire. There are no erosion concerns the road is on a ridge. It is just easier to manage land when it is closed.