Hyalite Canyon is about a half hour south of town via South 19th Avenue and Hyalite Canyon Road. Drive to the end of the road to launch a five-mile hike past nearly a dozen waterfalls to Hyalite Lake, then go another two miles to reach Hyalite Peak. One drainage over from the Hyalite Lake hike, another five-mile hike leads to pretty Emerald Lake in a high cirque. Turn left off the road shortly after the youth camp at Hyalite Reservoir to reach this trailhead.
The trails in this area are well-maintained and well-signed. Many of the trails, campgrounds, and fishing-access points in Hyalite Canyon are designed to allow people of differing physical abilities to use them. The trails are rated from easiest to most difficult; one of the easy trails is a 0.5-mile paved loop from Langhor Campground with nature trail signs in both type and braille.
North of town, the Bridger Foothills National Recreation Trail starts at the Picnic Area on Bridger Drive (head north on Rouse; it becomes Bridger Drive) and continues for 21 miles to the Fairy Lake Campground. From there it’s a two-mile hike to Sacagawea Peak.
To drive to the Fairy Lake Campground, take Bridger Drive for 24 miles to Forest Road and go another seven miles to the campground. If you’re just up for a short hike, start at the same place and hike up to the “M” for a great panorama of Bozeman [1] and Bridger Canyon.
Another good view of the city and surrounding mountains comes from Peet’s Hill, right in town at the corner of South Church and Storey, across the road from the entrance to the Gallagator Linear trail. It’s a short and rewarding climb up the hill.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/montana/the-missouri-headwaters-and-south-central-montana/bozeman