Three Rivers Backcountry Horsemen helps the BTC
Wide open spaces are treasured by Montanan’s. Living in the Big Sky State lends a strong sense of appreciation for big country and is home to a big-hearted people. Dillon, MT is a community with a strong agricultural background and a thriving small-town economy. Importantly, as Dillon becomes more and more diverse, we still retain much of our old western cowboy heritage. Today a representation can be seen in a group called the Backcountry Horsemen of Montana, an organization that works to protect the cowboy way of life.
As an organization, the Backcountry Horsemen work to ensure that public land use will continue to be accessible for those wishing to travel horseback. Originally, the Backcountry Horsemen’s Association was established to protect access to the Bob Marshall Wilderness and worked as a liaison with the Forest Service in reaching their end goal. Today, they continue to work closely with the Forest Service across Montana with over 18 chapters and 1000 members.
The Beaverhead Trails Coalition (BTC) recently had the opportunity to partner with a local chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen. The local chapter, Three Rivers Backcountry Horsemen, serves Southwestern Montana. BTC currently owns and manages the High Trails for public use. These trails are located just outside of Dillon off 10 Mile Rd. As a non-profit 501 (c)3 organization we function solely on raised funds and donations. One way to support our organization is through our Sponsor a Bench program. These benches are then placed at strategic locations around the nearly 1,200 acres of land that make up the High Trails system.
The local Backcountry Horsemen (BC) have been instrumental in two of these bench installs. The High Trails are accessible only by non-motorized vehicles. Working with the BC has allowed us to haul heavy loads of water, concrete mix, tools, and bench parts up miles of trail to distant locations across tough and rugged terrain. Thanks to their help and the generosity of bench donations, the public can sit for a while and enjoy the beauty of Beaverhead Valley.
If interested in joining the Three Rivers Backcountry Horsemen, please contact Bev McDougal at (406) 681-3131. For more information, please visit their website at www.bchmt.org or their Facebook page @ThreeRiversBCH. Monthly meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm.