Bangtail Divide Trail #504

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 switchbacks, smooth. Most of the route is a wide and smooth dirt trail through a beautiful forest of lodgepole pine and Douglas firs. There's hardly any rocks, and it looks like it's been maintained that way. The trail narrows up a bit as it goes south, and keeps climbing. It's a constant, gradual ascent up 2,700 feet over 13 miles. It starts to have more embedded rock in the latter half, but the trail is flowy, fast, and straightforward. This is a really popular area, so there likely will be no uncut logs, and it stays very well maintained. This trail is open to motorcycles 6/16 - 10/14.