The Long Way
Gallatin County
A hiker looks at a tall waterfall cascading down a cliff face with columnar rock formations.
Plate I. Palisade Falls, Palisade Falls Trailhead. From outsidebozeman.com
A family walks along a dirt trail through a dense forest.
Plate II. Hikers on the Palisade Falls Trailhead path. From blog.visit-bozeman.com
A waterfall flows down a rocky cliff surrounded by trees.
Plate III. Palisade Falls, Palisade Falls Trailhead. From wildmontana.org
Two side-by-side photos of a tall waterfall cascading down a rocky cliff.
Plate IV. Palisade Falls, Palisade Falls Trailhead. From blog.visit-bozeman.com

Palisade Falls Trailhead

Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana. Trailhead.

Details

Map. Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana. Larger map
Where
Bozeman, Gallatin County, MT. No street address stated. Directions
When
Open 24 hours/day.
Getting there
Drive south on 19th Ave. to Hyalite Canyon Rd. Turn left, drive up the canyon, and continue past Hyalite Reservoir. At the fork, turn left and after about 1.5 miles, park at the signed trailhead for Palisade Falls.
Access
Hyalite Canyon Road closes annually (although it stays open to pedestrians and cyclists) from April 1 to May 15, so plan accordingly.
Phone
406-587-6710
Managed by
Custer Gallatin National Forest.
Coordinates
45.46884, -110.93904.

Popular 1/2 mile nature trail, fully accessible and paved, providing views to Palisade Falls.

Notable Events

  1. 1871The Hayden Geological Survey team sent to the Yellowstone region in 1871-1872 gave the earliest written account of the area's beauty and noted the presence of Hyalite, a colorless opal. bozemanmagazine.com
  2. 1872The Hayden Geological Survey team named Mount Blackmore in honor of Mary Blackmore, wife of English railroad investor William Blackmore. bozemanmagazine.com
  3. 1878George W. Flanders built a large mill in 1878 and produced sufficient timber and shingles to prompt the opening of a lumber yard in Bozeman; his wagon trail up the canyon was his greatest contribution to the future of Hyalite Canyon. bozemanmagazine.com
  4. 1882A U.S. geological expedition discovered the opal above Hyalite Canyon's head wall in 1882 and so named the mountain. bozemandailychronicle.com
  5. 1928The community got its wish on November 7, 1928 when the U.S. Geographic Board approved the change of the name from Middle Creek to Hyalite Creek. bozemanmagazine.com
  6. 1932In 1932, Tom and H.E. Murdock and O.W. Monson, all on the faculty of Montana State College, drove to Hood's Meadow in a two-door Chevrolet; they were the first group to drive up Hyalite Canyon in a car. bozemanmagazine.com

People

  • Chuck Borland, earth science teacher at Bozeman High School and rock hound who has made the trek to Hyalite Peak many times.
  • Stephan Custer, geologist at Montana State University.
  • George W. Flanders, Sawmill operator who milled lumber in Middle Creek (Hyalite) Canyon and built the wagon trail up the canyon (came to the Gallatin Valley in 1868).
  • P.C. Waite, Bozeman businessman who petitioned the Forest Service in 1927 to change the name of Middle Creek to Hyalite Creek.

Sources

  1. fs.usda.gov/r01/custergallatin/recreation/palisade-falls-trailhead
  2. blog.visit-bozeman.com/blog/hyalite-canyon-hikes
  3. wildmontana.org/2026/02/11/community/trail-of-the-week-palisade-falls
  4. outsidebozeman.com/nature/mega-magma-waterfalls
  5. serc.carleton.edu/research_education/trail_guides/hyalite.html
  6. bozemandailychronicle.com/few-hikers-aware-of-opals-presence/article_eef10837-8a77-5a93-aa94-94dcae0364f6.html
  7. bozemanmagazine.com/articles/2017/06/01/102590-hyalite-a-peak-a-reservoir-a-creek-and-above-all?mobile_redirect=false