Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Potomac, Montana

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East Twin Creek Road

Great back road accessible by almost any car and SUV Road ID# 2117. First, turn off to the left off of Gold Creek Rd is East Twin Creek Road. The road has some blind corners…
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Total Miles
10.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Garnet Ghost Town

This very potholed and deeply washboard trail leads from the beginning of the dirt section to Montana's best-preserved Ghost Town, Garnet. This site features some of the best-kept historical buildings of its kind. The trail…
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Total Miles
6.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Verdy Moccasin Ridge

This moderate shelf road leads from the valley below near Connor and heads up into the Sapphire Mountains. The beginning is a shelf road with a steep dropoff with tight turns, loose rocky switchbacks, and…
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Total Miles
10.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

West Fork Schwartz Creek

This is not the super smooth, easy way into the Sapphire Mountain Range. This trail is rocky, with a few tight corners and a steep climb. There are a few spots with a nice view,…
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Total Miles
3.9
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Schwartz Creek

This dirt road into the Saphire Mountains is THE smoothest and most effortless way up the mountain range. The grade isn't steep. The potholes are few. The only drawback is that there are few pullouts…
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Total Miles
5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

First Chance Gulch To Bear Gulch

This is a great connector trail with amazing views of the canyons below. It connects the well-preserved Garnet Ghost Town to Bear Town. There are plenty of switchbacks and a creek running alongside the whole…
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Total Miles
4.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Upper Cave Gulch Road

This narrow, short upper section leads into the hills to pass right by the well-preserved Garnet Ghost Town. It runs along a ridgeline with exceptional views of the valley below. It passes through a dense…
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Total Miles
2.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp / Su

Eastern Garnet Range Road

This easy section twists and turns through the hills and offers a lot of offshoots that have been blocked off with gates and a few pullouts with evidence of camping. If that is your jam,…
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Total Miles
4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Jocko Road

Travel this easy section through the Jocko Canyon along the stunning Jocko River. Other sights along this route include the pristine Jocko Lakes and Placid Lake.
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Total Miles
30
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Summit Cabin Road

This narrow road cuts through a section of burned forest and passes through many private parcels. Please be respectful of their land and stick to the trail. On the map, there is one dispersed camping…
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Total Miles
2.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

West Holloman Schwartz

This rim road cruises along the top of the hills and has epic views around almost every corner as it twists and turns its way to the Holoman Saddle. There are a few different decent-sized…
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Total Miles
4.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Jocko Canyon

This is a scenic shortcut from Seeley Lake to Arlee. It is a rough and rocky dirt road that is 1-2 vehicles wide. Jocko River and lake system are visible for most of the trail.…
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Total Miles
4.6
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Double Arrow Lookout Tower

This short, scenic climb leads to a locked gate and a brief 1/4 mile hike to the lookout tower. You could take the road up, but the hiking trail offers excellent views of the surrounding…
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Total Miles
1.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Middle Fork Schwartz

This ridge road blasts across the top of the ridge over the Yukon Saddle. It has long straight always with epic views, a dense forest section, an old burned-out section that's regrowing well, and a…
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Total Miles
5.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su

Westside Bypass

This bypass takes you around Sealy lake, on dirt, through the trees. There is no view of the lake and no actual view of any kind unless you love looking at trees. Then, you're in…
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Total Miles
6.4
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

West Greenough

This easy out and back passes by a great shooting range spot carved into the hillside about 1/3 of the way along the trail. There are tight turns and muddy puddles from all the little…
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Total Miles
4.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Archibald Loop

The stunning scenic trail rises far above Seeley Lake into the hills. There are incredible vistas of the lakes and surrounding mountains but no real places to camp unless a pullout in front of a…
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Total Miles
6.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Miller Peak

This peak tower access road starts with some loose rocky, rutted, steep, and longer duration climbs. There are also a few rainwater diverting hills. Once those are out of the way, the trail is relatively…
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Total Miles
4.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Rock Creek

This dirt road follows Rock Creek and connects I-90 near Clinton, MT, to Highway 1, leading to Philipsburg. This area is busy with anglers and rafters in the Spring, Summer, and Fall but experiences less…
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Total Miles
28.3
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Sluice Creek

This is a rocky twisty ridge road. It's open seasonally with a gate near the first bottom switchback. The trail has fantastic views of the Bitterroot Valley and Sapphire range. The trail is loose and…
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Total Miles
10
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

8 Mile

This narrow, easy climb heads from the Bitterroot valley into the sapphire mountains. It begins in a residential area and then hits loose, steep switchbacks to begin the ascent. The trail gets relatively narrow in…
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Total Miles
13.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Clearwater Canoe Put In Trail

This easy graded trail leads to the fantastic Clearwater Canoe float trail. Put in there for a fantastic float down to the north end of Seely lake. The trail is easy, but please be respectful…
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Total Miles
0.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Lake Marshall

This beautiful scenic run to Lake Marshall offers tons of camping access along the way, with limited spots once you arrive at the lake. There is no apparent put-in for boats at this lake. Along…
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Total Miles
6.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Larch Camp Road

Larch Camp Road is Located in a part of The Lolo National Forest in the South Hills of Missoula, Montana. It is a scenic backcountry road just a few miles from town. Great hiking in…
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Total Miles
1.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Upper Skyline to Cinnabar Saddle

This easy ridge road has impressive views of the Bitterroot Valley as it twists its way in and out of the trees. Previous tree clearing makes for a nice open ride. There are a few…
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Total Miles
5.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Lake Inez Campground Loop

This popular camping loop runs right along the lake. Although the group site is an epic spot and only available with reservations, the rest of the sites are free and first-come, first served. There are…
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Total Miles
1.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Richmond Marshall Hookup Trail

This leisurely trail cruises through the trees across the streams, and along the ridge. The views across the valley are spectacular and quite vast. It's a great spot to watch the storms roll across the…
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Total Miles
2.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

West Fork Clearwater River

This trail leads to the trailhead for the hike of the same name. There is ample parking for horses and trailers or whatever you may drive at the trailhead. There are livestock hitching posts as…
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Total Miles
2.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Sp / Fa

Secondary Road A

This steep climb up the hill provides easy access to a few different old logging trails that are now closed to motorized travel. Have a horse, mountain bike, two feet? Then these are very open…
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Total Miles
1.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Skyline

This scenic, narrow trail twists its way through the trees. There are a few pullouts here and there to pass oncoming traffic and lots of evidence of tree cutting. Be prepared to clear trees if…
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Total Miles
4.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp