Drop Creek

Trail Overview

Drop Creek is a rugged and incredibly scenic dirt bike route in the high alpine terrain of the Bitterroot National Forest. It's accessible from the Painted Rocks Lake side via Jew Mountain Trail, or from Lost Trail Pass via Shields Creek or Colter Creek. Most of this trail goes through an old burn area, and the trail didn't get cleared of logs for many years, but was recently cut and is now accessible all the way to Piquett Divide. The eastern entrance is faint and grassy, tucked in the trees off the ATV trail, but marked with a sign. The trail starts with some light route finding--navigating around small saplings, over downed logs, and through reroutes--before climbing into a technical section of tight turns, embedded boulders, and shelfy sidehill exposure. It has a steep hill climb over pea gravel in the middle of the route, along with loose rock, muddy patches, and very narrow sections of trail. Riders pass by two stunning alpine lakes on the west end -- Slate Lake and Piquett Lake -- and may encounter a lingering snow drift into early summer on the descent down to Piquett Lake, before climbing up to Piquett Divide. It's overall a good challenge with scenic views the whole way.

Photos of Drop Creek

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Difficulty

This is an upper intermediate/difficult trail due to its technical climbs, loose surfaces, significant exposure, logs, and moderate rock obstacles that require more advanced handling and route-finding skills.

Technical Rating

Drop Creek can be accessed by the following ride types:

• Dirt Bike