Trail Overview
Located in the Caribou National Forest. Hell Creek has its name for a reason. You can either start from the top of Black Mountain and ride down or start on McCoy Creek Road and ride up. Ridden uphill, the route is rated very difficult. The first challenge is riding across McCoy Creek, which is a very powerful, fast-flowing creek crossing with large amounts of snowmelt until late August. The next challenge is a rock garden of steep switchbacks. The entire trail is a tight single track, with plenty of large roots, drop off and pointed rocks. The trail is super dry in places and in others could actually be muddy, under the dense canopy of lodge pole pine. Mosquitoes can be plenty. Above the tree line, the trail has the most beautiful view of Alpine, WY to the East and Caribou Mountain to the West. Also keep an eye out for sheep, cattle, and horses. The hours to complete uphill are ~3 hours for a skilled rider, with no trees down and taking breaks; an enjoyable photo opportunity. Of course, downhill will be faster.
Difficulty
This trail is not ridden much, and spring riding isn't recommended until the snow has melted and the trees have been removed. There are no go-arounds available for any of the rock drops, large roots, or the steep, tight switchbacks. The loose hard sand and rocks terrain can get quite dangerous. McCoy Creek itself is usually a fast-flowing, formidable water challenge through late summer. I specifically chose to ride Hells Creek in 2026; our winter drought left the water levels uncharacteristically low. In most years, the creek runs twice as high and much faster. Because of this, locals prefer to start at Black Canyon and ride down, opting to head back up the same way to avoid crossing McCoy Creek entirely or wait till McCoy Creek water level drops in the fall.
