E-Biking in Montana's Yellowstone Country
Paradise Valley, photo by Jonathan Finch
There’s a growing trend in Montana’s Yellowstone Country: e-biking. Studies have shown the average heart rate of people riding e-bikes is 94% of those riding a conventional mountain bike. It affords less muscle strain, less stress on the heart and less sweat! Most importantly, e-biking opens the activity up to all levels of cyclists, making it easier to explore new territory.
Gardiner
The popularity is evident, with eight shops renting e-bikes or providing guided tours. In Gardiner, which sits at the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park, Big Sky E-Bike Tours and Rentals offers a variety of guided options, including biking and soaking at Yellowstone Hot Springs. (They offer an array of pools, including a cold plunge!) There are several options for touring in Yellowstone, all of which provide incredible photo opportunities and the chance of seeing wildlife.
Livingston and Paradise Valley
Sage Lodge, also in Paradise Valley, offers guided e-bike tours. Make it a stay, and you can come back and relax in their hot tub, get a massage from the spa, enjoy a fabulous dinner, and sleep like a baby surrounded by incredible views in every direction. Dan Bailey’s in Livingston has expanded beyond being an iconic fly-fishing shop to becoming a full-service outdoor gear shop, and their latest addition is e-bike rentals; also in Livingston is 406 E-Bike Rentals.
Sage Lodge_Pray, Paradise Valley, photo by Montana's Yellowstone Country
Red Lodge
In Red Lodge, Beartooth E-Bike Rentals is great for rides like Ski Run Road to Red Lodge Mountain, Meeteetse Trail and West Fork Road. They can also shuttle your group to Tippet Rise Art Center, where you can bike 14 miles of trails or 13 miles of gravel road to larger-than-life outdoor art installations.
Big Sky
Black Tie Ski and Bike Rentals in Big Sky is the place to go if you want a little boost for riding up the groomed trails on Lone Mountain, cruising around town or along the bike path.
West Yellowstone
In West Yellowstone, Pursuit E-Bikes can set you up for cruising around town, along mountain bike trails, or through Yellowstone during its off-season weeks in the spring and fall when vehicles are not permitted.
Roosevelt Arch, Gardiner, photo by Montana's Yellowstone Country
Bozeman
Bozeman is known for being a mountain biking mecca, and Owenhouse Cycling can hook you up with an e-bike that makes climbing mountains in the Bridger Mountain Range or Custer Gallatin National Forest a piece of cake. For those who enjoy craft beer, at our last count, Bozeman boasts ten craft breweries, all of which can provide an exceptionally crafted and icy-cold beer after your ride.
Of course, for the purists out there, regular bikes will get you where you want to go, and there are more than enough trails for everyone to explore. Check out our website for more details.
However you choose to explore, I hope you enjoy discovering our region.