April 15, 2025
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Where the Wild Hats Are: The Viral Account Documenting Bozeman’s Top Airport Accessory from Outside magazine tskulszki

Tom Bettenhausen07 mins
Where the Wild Hats Are: The Viral Account Documenting Bozeman’s Top Airport Accessory

These days, nobody seems to dream about becoming a superhero anymore; instead, everybody wants to be a cowboy. Thanks to pop-culture phenomena like the hit TV show Yellowstone and Beyoncé’s latest country album, cowboy culture has hit the mainstream in a big way. For many folks, the trend represents not just the ranching lifestyle but a celebration of freedom from the mundane. The allure of those ideals has some people rethinking their vacations. Over the past few years, we’ve seen more folks saying goodbye to all-inclusive beaches and saying hello to guided hikes and whiskey tastings in the American West. The result is an influx of tourists to places like Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Bozeman, Montana. But while plenty of people are packing their boots and bandanas for their Western vacays, we’re impressed most impressed by travelers’ dedication to the crown jewel of the aesthetic: the cowboy hat.

On that note, please meet our new favorite Instagram account: Bozeman Airport Cowboys. This is a space committed to capturing the sojourners who are determined to travel in headwear that—while perhaps practical for herding cattle across the prairie—is decidedly impractical for air travel. Such wardrobe choices often leave locals scoffing. “People treat traveling to Bozeman like they’re headed to an amusement park for their own kind of Yellowstone-themed Halloween party,” one anonymous Montanan told Outside. “If you’re gonna pretend to play cowboy in a place where plenty of people still make their living running beef, you’re gonna get a little guff for it.” Hence, the Bozeman Airport Cowboys Instagram account.

We’re not necessarily knocking the trend: it certainly seems nice to escape reality by pretending to be a cowboy while staying at a Hilton Inn with a nice view. And we fully believe that a good Stetson has the power to transport us from the bleak reality of the everyday to a place where we can dare to dream bigger. So consider this an ode to all you Bozeman Airport Cowboys out there. You do you. And in the meantime, we hope you enjoy this snapshot of Bozeman’s daily arrivals.

Introducing the Instagram Famous Cowboy Hats:

Let the wedding bells ring. This cowboy is getting hitched and has the hat to match in matrimony.

 

Protect the rim of the hat at all costs.

 

Forget the luggage, we’re carrying on a cowboy hat.

 

This globetrotter has a hat to match every outfit he packed for his trip.

 

John Dutton? Is that you?

 

Today’s cowboy hats come in all shapes and sizes–even hot pink with fur.

 

Cowboy hats are an accessory for every season. We’ll be sure to see a few hat-and-fur-coat combos at the Big Sky après.

 

What’s better than a cowboy hat? A cat in a backpack, plus a cowboy hat!

 

While we’re not sure these patrons understand what it really takes to be a cowboy, they do embody the resilience and drive of what it takes to travel with an accessory as delicate as the cowboy hat.

 

 

 

The post Where the Wild Hats Are: The Viral Account Documenting Bozeman’s Top Airport Accessory appeared first on Outside Online.

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