Gallatin Canyon / West Yellowstone Patrol
The Sheriff’s Office Canyon Section encompasses the southern portions of Gallatin County to include Big Sky and West Yellowstone. Deputies reside in those assigned areas and communities. Resident deputies of Big Sky and West Yellowstone are sworn officers with the National Park Service as well as sworn deputies with Madison County.
All Canyon Section deputies are highly involved in and certified as search and rescue coordinators. Snowmobile, K9 capability, and boat patrols are also services offered to the public by the Canyon Section.
The Sheriff’s Office patrols the canyon section in conjunction with West Yellowstone Police Department, Madison County Sheriff's Office, National Forest Service, Yellowstone Park Service, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Montana Department of Livestock and Montana Highway Patrol.
West Yellowstone is located in southwestern Montana just 1.5 miles from Wyoming and 8 miles from Idaho. It shares a common border with Yellowstone National Park and is the Park’s only western gateway. West Yellowstone considers itself to be the "Hub of Yellowstone Country" because of its excellent location to all the wonders of Yellowstone National Park with the added benefit of all there is to explore and do in the area. The town's size is approximately 49 square blocks with a population of approximately 1,500 year-round residents. The population can fluctuate to several thousand during heightened tourist times.The elevation is 6,666 feet with peaks in the area reaching over 10,000 feet. The area is renowned for excellent hunting, fishing, skiing, hiking, boating and is known as the snowmobile capital of the world.
Big Sky is located 45 miles south of Bozeman. The community is a resort destination area that lies partially in Madison County and partially in Gallatin County. Big Sky has not become a municipality due to it being spread out between these two counties. Population estimates for the Big Sky area are based on numbers from the 2000 census and fall around 1,500 year-round residents. Again, when ski season is in full swing, the population can exceed 10,000 people. The largest industry in Big Sky and West Yellowstone is tourism. It is greatly supported by the two ski areas, Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin, as well as the Nordic Ski Center, Lone Mountain Ranch, and by the many other lodging and recreation businesses. The largest focal point in the area is the majestic Lone Mountain where both ski resorts are located. Whether it is winter, spring, summer or fall there is unparalleled recreation, scenery and abundant wildlife to be found.