Freeheel and Wheel

Half a block from Yellowstone National Park's West Entrance, Freeheel and Wheel has outfitted visitors with bikes and cross-country skis since 1996, operating under a Special Use Permit with the Custer Gallatin National Forest. The shop rents and sells bikes, skis, snowshoes, and outdoor apparel, and runs an espresso bar where staff double as trip planners — advising on trails, conditions, and routes into the park.

Beyond outfitting day trips, the shop has become an advocate for regional trail access: it actively supports the Yellowstone Shortline Trail project, which aims to convert nine miles of abandoned railroad bed along the historic Oregon Short Line Railroad route into a hiking-and-biking trail. Open daily, year-round, the shop functions as much as a planning hub as a retail counter — described on its own site as "your trailhead to adventure" and "your home away from home," language that reflects a business built around repeat, season-spanning visitors rather than one-off gear sales.