Bozeman Magazine

The spring cleanup is held on the last Saturday before the road re-opens for the season, which is typically in mid-May. This year it is scheduled for May 9th and the road will re-open on May 19th. Each year the road is closed from April 1st through mid-May to reduce the amount of traffic during the heavy run off. This prevents road material from breaking down too quickly and requiring additional maintenance. The main purpose of a spring cleanup is to remove all the trash revealed with snowmelt and prepare the area for users. Winter campers/hikers often can’t find a fire ring under the snow so they will make one and that will often result in multiple rings of rocks found in a small area. Spring clean up is held shortly before the road opens marking the end of road closure and the beginning of the summer season.