Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Ponderosa Pines, Montana

Traveling this rough clay-based gravel road between Toston and Lombard, you can expect to see range cattle, prickly pear cacti, plenty of sagebrush, and rattlesnakes. Use extreme caution on this road in the rain. Numerous washouts could make it dangerous. As you gain more than 1,300 feet in elevatio...
Learn more about Lombard Coke Ovens

The track begins from the town of Maudlow from the south. From the north, it can be accessed from Meadow Creek Road via the town of Ringling. The track begins when you cross from Meagher County to Gallatin County. This is a point-to-point, one-lane dirt and gravel road with room to pass in plenty of...
Learn more about Sixteen Mile Creek Road

Point-to-point, moderately traveled road north of Belgrade in the Gallatin Valley. Maintained dirt and gravel surface, typically two vehicles wide. Should not require 4WD in dry conditions. Expect muddy conditions when wet, and some drifting snow over the road in winter. If starting from the south, ...
Learn more about Dry Creek Road

Flathead Pass is a short and sweet, easy trail filled with great views, a few off-camber sections, and some small to medium washouts. The trail starts after turning off Rocky Mountain Road and onto Flathead Pass Road. At first, it may seem like you are driving through a private ranch, but shortly af...
Learn more about Flathead Pass

This is a 4.5-mile-long ATV trail designated for vehicles 50" or less. It's overall very easy, but does have some sections that have a bit of a rocky surface. The rocks are just small loose rocks and nothing that significantly increases the difficulty. It goes through beautiful grassy valleys undern...
Learn more about South Fork Flathead Creek

Carrol Creek is an easy 5 miles of ATV trail, designated for vehicles 50" or less. The south ends starts as a Jeep road, near the intersection with the Fairy Creek trail. After 1,000 feet or so, it turns into the ATV trail. It's still a very wide path though for the entire route. It goes pretty stra...
Learn more about Carrol Creek

Benchmark is a 1.5-mile long 50" trail through the Gallatin National Forest north of Bozeman, Montana. It's easy for the entire route, going through grassy valleys on an overgrown dirt trail. This one looks less ridden, with grass growing down the middle of the trail, and not many tracks. It starts...
Learn more about Benchmark

This 10-mile trail takes you from Highway 287 near Townsend into the Helena National Forest. You go through a beautiful canyon, gain 3500 feet in elevation, and experience the majesty of Montana. The scenery is spectacular, the forest is healthy and well-maintained, and the wildlife includes deer, e...
Learn more about Indian Creek Road

This 68-mile trail takes you from Old Woman's Grave Road just outside of Townsend, on a winding, twisting path through the National Forest, to Winston. You will travel across the National Guard Training grounds, up through Norris Gulch, and then use these Forest Service trails: the Ahlman trail, Hog...
Learn more about Townsend To Winston

This 8-mile RT trail explores the Helena National Forest north of Indian Creek Road. The views of Canyon Ferry Lake and the valley are breathtaking. The forest is healthy and well-maintained. The elevation along this trail is about 5600 feet. The wildlife in this area includes elk, deer, and bears. ...
Learn more about Indian Creek Road Spur 1

Upper Brackett Creek Single Track is an easy and really scenic single track through the Gallatin National Forest north of Bozeman, Montana in the Bridger Mountain Range. It's a narrow skinny single track through wide open grassy meadows, with few white fir trees lining the trail. This one is fast, f...
Learn more about Upper Brackett Creek

Ross Pass is a 2.5-mile-long single track through the Gallatin National Forest. From the west end, it drops down from the summit of Ross Pass and the intersection with the Bridger Foothills, Bridger Ridge, and Upper Brackett Creek single tracks. It's a gradual descent the whole way, dropping 1,000 f...
Learn more about Ross Pass

The Weston Creek Lower Portion Trail connects Indian Creek Road Trail to the Weston Creek Upper Portion Trail, the Weston Creek Spur #1, the Merrel Springs Trail, and the Cold Springs Road Trail. It's two miles, going a bit higher into the Helena National Forest. You drive along the West Fork of In...
Learn more about Weston Creek Lower Portion

This trail connects Weston Creek Lower Portion with Weston Creek Upper Portion by going south around Giant Hill. It's just over 4 miles one way and runs between 5300and 6200 feet in the Helena National Forest. The scenery is spectacular, the forest is healthy and well-maintained, and the wildlife in...
Learn more about Cold Springs Road

Truman Gulch is an easy spur trail off of the Bridger Foothills trail that descends 1,400 feet down to the Truman Gulch Trailhead. It looks like there has been a lot of trail maintenance on this to clear it of rocks, bench out any ruts, and make it overall very smooth and flowy, as it is also a popu...
Learn more about Truman Gulch

Fairy Creek is an ATV Trail for vehicles 50" or less. It's also a snowmobile path after December 2. It leaves from the Battle Ridge dirt parking lot on the west side of Highway 86 and starts out as a wide, smooth, dirt path lined with tall grass and white fir trees. It has wide-open views through th...
Learn more about Fairy Creek - FS 500

This 7-mile one-way trail cuts across the Helena National Forest by Glendale Butte and Big Mountain. It connects to Norris Gulch on the south end and Weasel Creek on the north end. You drive along Crow Creek near the Mission Lookout Picnic Area and several camping areas. The scenery is spectacular, ...
Learn more about Crow Creek

The Middle Cottonwood Single Track starts on the west end at a small dirt parking lot on a well-maintained wide dirt path. There are many hikers on this trail, so please respect other users. It goes over a narrow wooden bridge and continues on an easy trail with some embedded rocks but mostly smooth...
Learn more about Middle Cottonwood

This section of the Merrel Springs Trail goes down to 5900 feet in the Helena National Forest and connects to the Weston Creek Trail. It's just under 1 mile and goes along the West Fork of Indian Creek. The scenery is spectacular, the forest is healthy and well-maintained, and the wildlife includes ...
Learn more about Merrel Springs

Bangtail Divide is an almost 13 mile long single track through the Gallatin National Forest. It starts at the Bracket Creek Trailhead off Highway 86, north of Bozeman, Montana. It leaves the large dirt parking lot by crossing a wooden bridge, then immediately goes into several easy and wide switchba...
Learn more about Bangtail Divide Trail #504

Traveling this rough clay-based gravel road between Toston and Lombard, you can expect to see range cattle, prickly pear cacti, plenty of sagebrush, and rattlesnakes. Use extreme caution on this road in the rain. Numerous washouts could make it dangerous. As you gain more than 1,300 feet in elevatio...
Learn more about Lombard Coke Ovens

The track begins from the town of Maudlow from the south. From the north, it can be accessed from Meadow Creek Road via the town of Ringling. The track begins when you cross from Meagher County to Gallatin County. This is a point-to-point, one-lane dirt and gravel road with room to pass in plenty of...
Learn more about Sixteen Mile Creek Road

Point-to-point, moderately traveled road north of Belgrade in the Gallatin Valley. Maintained dirt and gravel surface, typically two vehicles wide. Should not require 4WD in dry conditions. Expect muddy conditions when wet, and some drifting snow over the road in winter. If starting from the south, ...
Learn more about Dry Creek Road

Flathead Pass is a short and sweet, easy trail filled with great views, a few off-camber sections, and some small to medium washouts. The trail starts after turning off Rocky Mountain Road and onto Flathead Pass Road. At first, it may seem like you are driving through a private ranch, but shortly af...
Learn more about Flathead Pass

Traveling this rough clay-based gravel road between Toston and Lombard, you can expect to see range cattle, prickly pear cacti, plenty of sagebrush, and rattlesnakes. Use extreme caution on this road in the rain. Numerous washouts could make it dangerous. As you gain more than 1,300 feet in elevatio...
Learn more about Lombard Coke Ovens

The track begins from the town of Maudlow from the south. From the north, it can be accessed from Meadow Creek Road via the town of Ringling. The track begins when you cross from Meagher County to Gallatin County. This is a point-to-point, one-lane dirt and gravel road with room to pass in plenty of...
Learn more about Sixteen Mile Creek Road

Point-to-point, moderately traveled road north of Belgrade in the Gallatin Valley. Maintained dirt and gravel surface, typically two vehicles wide. Should not require 4WD in dry conditions. Expect muddy conditions when wet, and some drifting snow over the road in winter. If starting from the south, ...
Learn more about Dry Creek Road

Flathead Pass is a short and sweet, easy trail filled with great views, a few off-camber sections, and some small to medium washouts. The trail starts after turning off Rocky Mountain Road and onto Flathead Pass Road. At first, it may seem like you are driving through a private ranch, but shortly af...
Learn more about Flathead Pass