Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Big Sky, Montana

Buck Ridge is a long ATV trail (11 miles) through the Gallatin National Forest south of Big Sky, Montana. The majority of the trail goes along a wide ridge line with incredible views out over…
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Lower Buck Ridge is a short ATV trail that is open 6/16 - 12/1 to vehicles 50" or less. The entire 2 miles of trail are a super wide dirt path. It looks more like…
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Cinnamon Meadow starts at the intersection with Dead Horse Creek and Lizard Lakes and goes north for 1.3 miles and connects to Cinnamon Buck. The trail mostly descends for the 1.3 miles, with the steepest…
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The Dead Horse Creek trail is a dirt bike-only trail, but it is more like an old road for the entire route. It starts from a small dirt trailhead at the end of FS 136…
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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…
Learn more about Moose Creek to Portal Creek Rd

Buffalo Horn single track starts at the Buffalo Horn Trailhead, at the end of Buffalo Horn Creek Road, off Highway 191. It begins on a wide dirt path, with tons of aggressive deep bumps and…
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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…
Learn more about Storm Castle to Line Creek 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,…
Learn more about Wilson Creek Divide Road

The Oil Well ATV trail is 11.6 miles of easy two-track through the Gallatin National Forest south of Big Sky, Montana. This trail starts at the Oil Well Trailhead off of FS Road 2522. It…
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The Wapiti Creek single track leaves from the Upper Wapiti Trailhead on Forest Service Road 2522. From the trailhead, it starts off as the Oil Well ATV trail, and then the single track peels off…
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Carrot Divide Trail is 3.4 miles long through the Gallatin National Forest and has incredible views of Montana's Madison Mountain Range. The east end starts off of the Oil Well ATV trail on a beautiful…
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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…
Learn more about Little Bear Road Offshoot

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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This is a moderately quick and simple dirt road turn-off from the main Little Bear Road. There are no technical parts or anywhere that really even calls for high ground clearance. There is no shortage…
Learn more about Cliff Creek Trail

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…
Learn more about Johnny Ridge Road - FS324

This is a .5-mile-long single track that accesses the Cabin Creek Cabin, which is a remote log cabin that you can rent by reservation. It's a single-room cabin that was built by the Civilian Conservation…
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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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The Skyline ATV trail starts at the Teepee Creek Trailhead in the Gallatin National Forest at a small dirt parking lot. This trail is open to vehicles 50" or less, and there is a boulder…
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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…
Learn more about Moser Views

This is an easy trail with plenty of incredible scenery. Consisting of mostly dirt and gravel, the trail is typically maintained fairly well year-round. Depending on the time of year, you can expect to see…
Learn more about Buffalo Jump - Black Fords Fish Access

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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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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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…
Learn more about Standard Creek Rd w/Wolverine Basin

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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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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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…
Learn more about West Fork Madison (FS 209)

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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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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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…
Learn more about Jackpine Gulch (FS 1209)

This trail is left from West Yellowstone on US Highway 191 going north. You'll turn left onto Rainbow Point Road/US Forest Road 610 and then left onto House Butte Road. There is a turn-off on…
Learn more about Horse Butte Fire Lookout Road