Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Big Sky, Montana

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Moose Creek to Portal Creek Rd

Heading south on 191, take a left onto Moose Creek Road; this trail starts off fairly gentle with plenty of camping areas to make basecamp. Beautiful aspens, golden late September, line the first stretch of…
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Total Miles
13
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Storm Castle to Line Creek Rd

Heading from North to South this trail narrows and grows slightly more challenging as you gain elevation. Near the top the track appears to be sensitive to rain and snowmelt and likely becomes quite muddy…
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Total Miles
12
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Wilson Creek Divide Road

This is a very nice and easy forest service road with several decent-sized boulders sticking up in the road. Once you reach the peak and start down the other side, it narrows to a tight,…
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Total Miles
26.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Little Bear Road Offshoot

Essentially a rough gravel road, this is a curvy and pot-hole-filled mountain road that forks off of Wilson Creek Divide Road. You'll likely want to air down your tires so as to not rattle your…
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Total Miles
3.2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa / Sp

Beaver Creek Gallatin Forest

This is a lovely little hidden gem of a trail just outside West Yellowstone in the mountains. Beaver Creek runs right along a good portion of the beginning of this trail, and there are lots…
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Total Miles
4.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Johnny Ridge Road - FS324

This trail offers either an opportunity to leave the ridge on Gravelly Range Road and descend to a trailhead at McAtee Bridge near State Highway 287 or to climb up to Gravelly Range Road. This…
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Total Miles
14.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Langohr Offshoot

A rough, but maintained forest service trail off of the main Langohr Road in Hyalite Canyon. There are various dispersed camping spots off of this trail, as well as several beautiful viewpoints to see the…
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Total Miles
3.3
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Moser Views

This trail is a great trail for beginners, involving two steep, off-camber hills at the beginning and middle, and plenty of chunky gravel and loose soil between. At the trail's peak is a phenomenal view…
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Total Miles
2.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Red Canyon

This is a pretty out-and-back trail up through red canyon that ends at the hiking trail for Red Canyon Creek. The beginning of the trail is through private property, and the trail surface is well-maintained…
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Total Miles
2.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Axolotl Lakes Road

Axolotl Lakes Road is like a fine sampling of the beauty Montana has to offer. It begins in one of the state's charming towns, Virginia City, complete with weathered wooden buildings and small restaurants and…
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Total Miles
11.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Standard Creek Rd w/Wolverine Basin

Standard Creek Road (FS237) is a beautiful climb from the Madison River Basin up into the Gravelly Range. The views are spectacular and many side trails exist for exploring. The views often show three to…
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Total Miles
22.5
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Eagle Nest River Access

This is a nice out-and-back dirt and gravel trail to the Eagle Nest day-use area with access to the Madison River. There is also a day-use river access spot at the beginning of the trail…
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Total Miles
1.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Hegben Lake Trail

This wide, well-maintained gravel and dirt trail runs along Hegben Lake. Some sections of the trail have a bit of bumpy washboard. Most lake access is from established campgrounds and designated dispersed camping areas. Most…
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Total Miles
8.2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

West Fork Madison (FS 209)

This trail follows the West Fork of the Madison River, which is a beautiful stream that highlights the beauty of the valley you will be following. This is an exceptionally beautiful area and we were…
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Total Miles
6.9
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Whits Lake Trail

This is a beautiful dirt and gravel trail that heads up to a couple of hiking trailheads. There are two designated dispersed campsites on the way up. One had an Airstream parked at it when…
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Total Miles
2.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Rainbow Point

This easy, wide, well-maintained dirt trail connects Rainbow Point and the Rainbow Point campground to Hegben Lake and the first-day use areas on the lake. It's a nice trail through the trees with some washboard…
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Total Miles
2.5
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Jackpine Gulch (FS 1209)

This area shows the ravages of the fire that went through this region two years ago. It is sad to see the damage but, encouraging to see the logging operations that are going on to…
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Total Miles
16
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Cougar C Trail

This is a nice connection trail between Highway 191 and the Whisky Bay trail. It is a broad, well-maintained dirt and gravel trail primarily through tall trees. It's longer but much smoother than the whisky…
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Total Miles
3.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Stoddard Point

This is an easy out-and-back offshoot trail through some seasonal forest service cabins off the main Madison Arm Trail. Follow the onX track carefully and obey all signs, there are lots of dirt roads that…
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Total Miles
1.3
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp / Su

Jackknife - Cliff Lake Bench (FS 9640/41)

We were hoping to see Cliff or Wade Lake when we went down this trail, but we did not. But there were some great views as we moved along this bench. The grass was deep,…
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Total Miles
7.7
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Whisky Bay Trail

Are you looking for day-use access to Whisky Bay? This is the main trail across Whisky Bay with loops and fingers off of it with lots of day-use spots along the bay. The trail is…
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Total Miles
4.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Whisky Bay Day Use 2

There are two-day use loops off the Whisky Bay trail. This day-use trail is close to the Horse Butte trail and rainbow point; it's slightly shorter than the other day-use area and runs higher above…
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Total Miles
1.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp / Su

Madison Arm

This broad, well-maintained dirt and gravel trail runs along Hegben Lake. It can be accessed from Highway 191 and Highway 20 just outside the town of West Yellowstone. The Madison Arm Resort Camp and Marina…
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Total Miles
11
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Cougar Cr Park Boundary

If you want to experience a little Yellowstone but are not planning on going to the park, this trail has a few hidden gems. It is a day-use area and runs right along the Yellowstone…
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Total Miles
2.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Gravelly Range Road (FS290) (Partial)

Gravelly Range Road is a very long road that runs from Red Rock Lakes Road west of the Island Park, ID to a point just east of Virginia City, MT. The section of road included…
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Total Miles
13.5
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Sixmile Creek Road

Sixmile Creed Road is a very scenic out and back gravel road that becomes less maintained the further back you discover. The entrance can be found off Dailey Lake Road. From the entrance it is…
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Total Miles
4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su

Whisky Bay Day Use 1

There are two day use loops off the Whisky Bay trail; this day use trail is close to highway 191, it's longer than the other day use areas with more pull-offs, and it has some…
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Total Miles
1.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Warm Springs Creek Road (FA 163) w/Cow Camp Road (FS1234)

Warm Springs Creek Road takes you from the Gravelly Range ridge line to Continental Divide/Upper Ruby Road. Assuming you start on the upper ridge along Gravelly Range Road, you go down the road looking back…
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Total Miles
10.4
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su

Continental Divide Trail (FS 20056)

This trail is the portal to several wonderful adventures in this area. There are trailheads with parking areas for a limited number of vehicles with trailers on either end. Red Rock Road has more parking…
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Total Miles
11.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

East Bench (FS 8378)

If you are looking for a short trail with mind-blowing views at the end, this is it. We almost didn't take it but decided to see where it led. This trail puts you directly above…
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Total Miles
3.9
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa