Have you ever been to a place that feels 100% authentic? I spent a day in Bozeman, Montana, and it was amazing. Bozeman is one of those ‘hometown USA’ type places, and the town just seems to flow together. From local shops on the main strip to quaint breweries around town, Bozeman is beautiful.
I stayed in Bozeman for two nights while on a solo road trip and found that although shopping small often means shopping pricey, I could still visit Bozeman on a budget. Here’s how I would recommend spending a day in this college town:
My Day In Bozeman Went Like This…
7:00 AM – Wake up at Treasure State Hostel and enjoy the included breakfast spread of fruit, bagels, and coffee with new hostel friends followed by organizing my day on the free Wi-Fi in the hostel library.
One night in the hostel plus breakfast = $28
8:00 AM – Yoga in the private living room in the hostel
Yoga on my own = $0
9:00 AM – head to Zocalo, a local coffee shop to get some work done. Zocalo has a ‘take a book, leave a book’ library and local art on the walls. Again, Bozeman is just SO supportive of local businesses!
Coffee and culture, plus a lunch snack = $5
12 noon – Wait out the rainstorm before walking up and down the main street. It’s so classically Main Street, USA. I walked the 4 blocks toward the Museum of the Rockies to take in their huge collection of dinosaur fossils while the rain passed.
Walk and museum = $14.50
Another option for a rainy afternoon would have been the Bozeman Hot Springs. For $10.50, patrons can relax in the healing waters of the hot springs or exercise in the lap pool, and for $5 more can use the fitness facilities.
Had it been nicer out, I’d have headed out to one of the several free hikes in the area.
3 PM – Walk to the other end of downtown to the Montana Ale Works building. I grabbed a local beer here and enjoyed the historic railway building.
Happy hour beer = $4.50
4 PM – I spent a while popping in and out of shops before going back to my hostel to do a load of laundry. The great part of it being downtown was that I could go walk around while waiting for my laundry to be done!
Laundry, soap, and window shopping = $4
6:30 PM – I reached out to my brother’s friend that was in town to grab dinner together. The Bozeman Taproom was packed so we sat at the bar and had the most amazing service from the bartenders and ended up joining the evening’s trivia game. After a couple of brews and some heavy competition, we came in 3rd place and won a $10 gift card towards our dinners!
Trivia, beer, and dinner = $27-$10 = $17
10 PM – Head back to the hostel to read and sleep. The hostel has strict quiet hours which is SO nice, especially for a downtown location.
So there you have it! A full day of entertainment in Bozeman, Montana came out to a whopping $71- less if you don’t include the hostel – and I could have done more free activities if I wanted to! It was such a pleasure to walk around the quiet little town and see local businesses thriving.
Until next time, Bozeman!