New Accessible Trails Coming to Lindley Park in Bozeman This Summer

Photos courtesy of Jodi Hausen

Key Takeaways

• Ability Montana board members Liz Ann Kudrna and Jodi Hausen, and Independent Living Specialist & ADA Coordinator Ricky Burns led the effort to bring accessible trails to Lindley Park in Bozeman, funded through a City of Bozeman Parks Community Grant.

• The new trails will be 7- and 8-foot, hard-packed decomposed granite paths with universal design in mind, benefiting people using wheelchairs, parents pushing strollers, and vendors pulling wagons or carts.

• The project will include accessible vendor spaces at the farmers market and Sweet Pea Festival, so vendors with disabilities can participate alongside everyone else.

• Celebrate the new trails at the 1st Annual Bozeman ADA Celebration and Walk. Run. Roll. fun run on July 25th, 2026 at Lindley Park.

Lindley Park in Bozeman is one of those places that feels like the heart of the community. It's where neighbors show up for the Tuesday farmers market, where art lovers wander Sweet Pea Festival booths under the shade trees, where kids hunt for Easter eggs and families spend long summer afternoons. But for people with mobility challenges, a lot of that has been easier said than done — until now.

This summer, new accessible trails are coming to Lindley Park, and Ability Montana is proud to be the organization to make it happen.

Identifying the Need and the Opportunity

The idea didn't come from a boardroom. It came from Liz Ann Kudrna, an Ability Montana board member who lives just down the street from Lindley Park — and who, as a manual wheelchair user, found herself regularly unable to attend the events happening in her own neighborhood.

"The Lindley Park area where Sweet Pea and the farmer’s market are set up is not accessible to many," Liz Ann said. "It's actually only accessible to those who are able to walk easily." She and fellow board member Jodi Hausen documented these challenges in a video of community members struggling to navigate the farmer’s market.

About a year and a half ago, Liz Ann raised the issue at a City Commission meeting. The city listened, reached out, and invited Ability Montana to apply for a Bozeman Parks Community Grant. The proposal — put together by board members Jodi Hausen and Liz Ann, and Independent Living Specialist & ADA Coordinator Ricky Burns — ranked highest among eight submissions and was granted the $45,000 request.

The project gained support from the Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT), HRDC, and the Sweet Pea Festival, with the city's Parks and Recreation team coordinating construction.

The Accessible Trails Lindley Park Deserves

The new paths at Lindley Park will be made of hard-packed decomposed granite – weathered granite rock that’s broken down into fine particles, creating a firm, semi-permeable surface. They’ll meander through the wooded area on the park's east side, between Buttonwood Avenue and Cypress Street, ensuring the park's beloved shade trees stay protected.

The paths will be 7-feet wide at the north end and 8-feet wide from the pavilion to the playground. That width matters: it's wide enough for two people using wheelchairs to roll alongside each other, the same way any two people would walk and talk together.

The project will also include at least two accessible 10x10 vendor spaces so that people with disabilities who want to participate in the farmers market or Sweet Pea Festival as vendors have a real spot to do so.

Construction began on June 1st and will be complete in the next week or two, ahead of the first Bozeman Farmers Market on June 16th.

In Phase 2, planned for 2027, the City will also add a connector trail from the crosswalk on Cypress Street to the pavilion and playground area, giving people a direct, accessible entry point from the sidewalk.

What This Means for the Community

Accessible infrastructure helps more people than most of us realize. According to the University of Montana Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, up to 14% of Montanans have mobility difficulty. And mobility challenges aren't limited to people with permanent disabilities — injuries, pregnancy, and aging can all affect how someone moves through a space.

"Allowing people to go without asking a friend to help – to be independent," Ricky said. "That really is what this project encompasses."

And accessible trails don't just benefit people with mobility challenges. Designing spaces for people with disabilities also benefits parents pushing strollers, vendors pulling wagons or using handtrucks.

Ability Montana has been advocating for exactly this kind of community access for more than 45 years. As one of four Centers for Independent Living in Montana, more than half of Ability’s staff and board members are people with disabilities — meaning the people driving this work have lived experience with the barriers they're working to remove.

Celebrate the New Trails at the ADA Celebration This July

The trails are set to open in time for the 1st Annual Bozeman ADA Celebration on July 25th at Lindley Park from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., kicking off with a 5k walk, run, or roll for adults, along with a fun run for kids.

This community-focused event will feature local vendors, food, and live entertainment throughout the day. Highlights include a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly built accessible trails in Lindley Park and the unveiling of the Bozeman Interactive Accessibility Map. The celebration will also include a special presentation by the Mayor, proclaiming the 36th anniversary of ADA Month. This event is a collaborative event between Ability Montana and the City of Bozeman.

Registration for the 5k Walk, Run, Roll & Kids Fun Run is now open! Sign up here.

Whether you walk, jog, use a wheelchair, or roll in on a bike, this event is for everyone. It's a chance to experience the new trails firsthand and celebrate what accessible public spaces mean for a community that truly belongs to all of its members.

Keep an eye on the event page and social channels for more event details as they're confirmed.