BOZEMAN — If you’re heading east, Bozeman Hill Road is open to the public. But if you’re going west, it’s a different story.
“Where it turns to gravel is where it actually turns private,” said Randy Schott, a longtime resident of the area near the Jackson Creek exit.
Schott has lived off Bozeman Hill Road for more than 20 years and says the road has changed dramatically over the decades.
“The property was sold as seasonal use only, and the road from right across the tracks was basically a wagon-trail-type old logging road,” Schott recalled.
Today, signs posted by the state make it clear: this section of road is private and not open to through traffic. Still, residents say many drivers try to use it.
“There are usually a couple of accidents where people roll when they hit the gravel here because it hits them unexpectedly,” Schott said.
The road, which quickly turns to gravel, isn’t maintained by the county, and upkeep falls on the people who live along it.
“A lot of it falls on a few of us that have equipment, and we work together, and then others they just, you know, help with funding,” Schott explained.
Turnarounds are a common sight, but last week, things escalated.
“We had almost 100 cars come through here when there was the accident the other day,” Schott said.
That accident was a multi-vehicle crash on I-90, which caused hours-long delays over the pass. Many drivers took the Jackson Creek exit in an attempt to cut through to Bozeman using backroads.
But instead of a detour, they found a barricade. Schott and his neighbors blocked the road and posted about it on Facebook. The post quickly gained traction and stirred controversy.
“It got pretty heated and everybody was—there were people saying I needed to quit being a gatekeeper, and accusing me of being from out of the area,” said Schott.
One commenter even suggested a convoy of vehicles should push through the road anyway.
WATCH: Residents Block Private Road Amid Rising Traffic and Safety Concerns
Schott, who previously worked in law enforcement, says he understands the bigger picture.
“I worked for the sheriff’s office, and I know they have better things to do at the sheriff’s office than deal with private roads and we don't want to bother them, but if we have people come through and damage stuff purposely that's when they will have to be involved,” he said.
To support his position, Schott shared receipts, maps, road repair estimates, and easement documents.
When asked about the road’s status, a Gallatin County engineer said in a statement, “It’s not a county road under our jurisdiction. We don’t have any information that says it’s public.”
Schott says the issue comes down to basic respect.
“Since I was five years old, I’ve been here, and things have changed. I would like to see people respect and show respect and treat others with respect,” he said.
If you want to know whether a road is maintained by Gallatin County, call 406-582-3250.
