Trail Overview

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 after, it opens up, and the ascent up the pass begins. Please stay on the road and off any private property. As the climb begins, the road starts to get rockier and washed out. While it is not mandatory, it is recommended to air down for comfort and traction. There is light foliage surrounding the trail, but with correct line choice, pinstriping is little to none, even for full-size trucks. There are 2 pull-offs along the trail with fire pits for camping. Nearing the top, there are a few washed-out sections that provide lines to fully articulate and flex out, or, with the correct line choice, they can be avoided and driven over with no traction loss. The upper section has several splits in the road that all rejoin eventually. It is recommended to stay on the furthest left track. At the top, you will be greeted with views of the Crazy Mountain range to the east, as well as a scenic view to the west of the valley. Overall, this trail is a simple non-consequential trail with optional lines to increase difficulty. Over 6 inches of clearance is recommended, along with decent tires.

Photos of Flathead Pass

Want to see more?
View All Photos

Difficulty

This trail is generally easy with small washouts that create articulation lines and medium mud puddles after rain. It is scattered with small to medium rocks, and the upper section includes slight off-camber areas that may feel uneasy but pose no real difficulty.

Technical Rating

Ryan Jones

Jun 13, 2026

Open

Went from Livingston side down to Bozeman. Pretty easy till you head down to bozeman. Very rocky not to tight but be ready for some pinstripes if in a full-size rig. Best to have some type of tire repair with you or spare.

Dean Tsandes

Apr 19, 2026

Open

I started on the west side and traveled up and east. No snow left on the west side of the pass. I’d rate this a bit more than a two only because over the last few years I’ve done it, it’s become more rutted and steep in places. Need at least 9 inches ground clearance and tires with good sidewall. I did it in a stock Tacoma (with no locker or MTS/crawl) so needed to pick the lines well. Melting snow and light mud on the east side of the pass down into Wilsall.

Bodi Dodson

Mar 20, 2026

Open

Lots of runoff and melting snow on front side, more of a 3 than 2 having some hard parts needing rear lockers and good tires. Still quite a bit of snow on the back side getting moderately stuck.

Lauren Benker

Feb 11, 2026

Open

It was very slippery with a thick layer of ice and snow. The view was stunning and we saw lots of cool plants and rock formations. We did not see any other people or animals. Some parts were very difficult in a stock truck, it would probably be a lot easier for a dedicated off-road rig. It was 100% worth it. Probably the most beautiful thing we’ve both ever seen, especially at sunset. Going down was much easier than going up. I would not call this a 2/10, for a truck like ours I’d say 9/10 leaning toward almost impossible. Definitely slipping and sliding on a lot of the trail and it’s very scary where the washouts are. It’s very close to the edge for a lot of the trail and one wrong move or unintentional slide on the ice and it would not be good. I would not recommend for beginners in the winter time.

Max Stragand

Jan 24, 2026

Open

The trail is still open, just snowy with a thin layer of ice under the fresh snow. Fun trail to snow bash up, with good views of the surrounding mountains.