Where to Play:

• 7 dedicated outdoor public courts
• All abilities and levels welcome
• Free to play
• Open seasonally

Court Hours

• 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday

• 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Sundays

Court gates will be locked outside of all open hours to ensure compliance of the designated court hours.

Hours are subject to change as we continue to assess noise levels and community impacts.

Story Mill Community Center-600 Bridger Dr.

• Schedule varies-visit the Recreation Division website for details
• 4 indoor courts (lines on multipurpose gymnasium floor)
• All ages and abilities welcome
• Your first time is free! Punch cards available or drop in rates: $5 city of Bozeman residents; $7 nonresidents
• Nets, balls, and a limited number of paddles are provided

Please note: Pickleball is NOT ALLOWED on the The Southside Tennis Courts (located on 5^th and College Ave.) Southside is now back to a dedicated tennis facility. Thank you for understanding and for respecting the court designation.

November 1, 2025 Update  

• The Bogert Pickleball Courts are now closed for the season.  For information about our indoor open play sessions, please visit the Recreation Division website. 

July 23, 2025 Update

• We have hired local acoustical engineer, James Black, with JB Acoustics to take additional decibel measurements around the Bogert pickleball courts. The measurements will be compared to the levels in the PSM sound study we completed over the winter, and will help us determine the effectiveness of the new mitigation system.

• We have received an online link to a petition to extend pickleball court hours at Bogert which includes 143 signature and 50 + public comments. We will review all of that feedback and consider it as we continue to assess our response to the noise concerns at Bogert.

• Tennis only signs have been put up at the Southside Tennis Courts and we have been addressing neighbors’ concerns about pickleball continuing to be played in there.  We have also been addressing pickleball players concerns about not being able to play there. Tennis players are starting to make their way back to those courts more regularly and we have received positive feedback about that from neighbors and tennis players alike.

• Spec Tennis which appears to be a quiet form of pickleball (looks fun!) has recently been put on our radar because a group has been playing it at Southside.  While it has tennis in the name and is quiet, it is not tennis, and we have concerns about it being played at Southside, especially since tape was being applied to the new surface to create the kitchen lines. Southside is a tennis only facility.

• We have been informed that the two courts at Blackwood Groves are being played on late into the evening and the noise and lack of etiquette has started to become a concern there. We have not taken that park over from the developer yet, but when we do, we will likely need to include similar court rules and etiquette signage.

• The prioritization of additional pickleball courts outside of residential areas continues.  We have money in this fiscal year to start working on design. More to come on that as we work to determine an appropriate location within our park system.

• We have pickleball open play sessions at the Story Mill Community Center throughout the summer months on Tuesday and Thursday evenings 5:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.  We have signs up at the pickleball courts to let players know that there are a couple of opportunities to play after 6:30 p.m. although, indoors. So far our participation numbers have been low. 

March 2025 Update 

Pickleball continues to see an unprecedented gain in popularity across all demographics (311% average growth in the last 3 years alone!) in cities across the country, including ours. Due to its popularity, we saw a dramatic increase in play at the City of Bozeman’s only dedicated outdoor pickleball facility in Bogert Park during the 2024 season. This increase resulted in complaints from neighbors about the noise from pickleball play disrupting their everyday lives. In response, the Parks and Recreation Department reduced court hours, hired a security company to lock gates when the courts were closed, encouraged the use of quiet equipment, defined a court closing date, hired  PSM Consulting to do a sound analysis at the courts, and prioritized funding in the City’s Capital Improvement budget for design and construction of additional pickleball facilities located in parks outside of residential neighborhoods.

Balancing the needs and desires of park users with the reasonable expectations of proximity homeowners can be challenging for local parks and recreation departments.  While we want everyone to be able to enjoy their public parks and participate in activities in those spaces that keep them active and connected with the community, it is also our responsibility to mitigate impacts on neighboring residents.

• Prior to the courts opening for the season-Installation of sound mitigation panels on the North and East fences and a portion of the West fence to reduce high decibel levels that negatively impact adjacent residents
• Defined season-opening date (TBD and no earlier than May 1, 2025) and closing date (weather dependent and no later than November 1, 2025)
• Further reduction in court hours-see hours above
• Prioritizing the investment of additional public pickleball facilities outside of residential neighborhoods

Your understanding, support and cooperation can go a long way in ensuring that pickleball remains accessible in Bozeman’s only dedicated outdoor public facility.  Thank you!

Please visit this page for updates as we continue to do all we can to balance these needs.

Additional Resources:

Pickleball Statistics -America’s fastest-growing sport (311% average growth rate over the last 3 years) 

Pickleball Acoustics -Equipment, Mitigation Materials, Services & Design

Quiet Equipment -Strongly encouraged at the Bogert Pickleball Courts

• PSM Consulting - Quiet Pickleball Paddles and Balls
• Pickleball Central - Quiet Pickleball Paddles and Pickleballs

Bogert Court Sound Mitigation Studies

Please note that the above Bogert Pickleball Court Update outlines our immediate implementation from the recommendations in the sound study.  No other options listed in the sound study are currently being implemented.