Wild Bill Eagle Mountain to The Playground
Total Miles
3.0
Elevation
1,825.18 ft
Duration
1 Hours
Technical Rating
Best Time
Spring, Summer
Trail Overview
This is a main access trail for The Playground and other obstacles in the Wild Bill OHV system. Overall the trail is a straightforward gravel trail with optional extreme challenges. These manmade challenges range from steep rocky hill climbs, deep holes, large flex sections, tire climbs, log crossings, and mud holes when wet. These obstacles and offshoots are rated 7-9. It is recommended that any obstacle only be attempted by an experienced driver with a vehicle appropriately built or modified for any given obstacle. The route begins at the south end at Eagle Junction. There are incredible vistas at the top of the hill, and the trees have been cleared, providing a fantastic view. There is also a nice little dispersed camping spot with a fire ring. Check fire conditions if considering camping. A short trip to the north, the trail goes through Packrat Junction before continuing into the trees. The next major intersection is Brush Connector which heads east and connects to the Truman Creek Trail. Continuing past Brush Connector, the trail leads to the popular rendevous spot at Mudhole Junction. Countless offshoots offer outstanding obstacles of varying difficulty and the occasional mud hole when wet. The trail spends a lot of time in narrow forests but does offer pullouts for oncoming traffic. This trail can end or begin at The Playground. This is what it sounds like: manmade tall shelf concrete obstacles, large log climbs, and massive truck tires enter wildly off-camber sections. There are two bars of T-Mobile 5G, and no Verizon service. It's a narrow trail with pullouts. Some articulations may be impassable when wet or snowy. There is no winter maintenance.
Photos of Wild Bill Eagle Mountain to The Playground
Difficulty
The main route of this trail is narrow with pullouts for oncoming traffic. The OHV area has lots of manmade obstacles that are rated 5-7, but the main trail bypasses through all of these so vehicles can pick and choose the amount of challenge they want. Some articulations may be impassable when wet or snowy. The trail system is open in wintertime but deep snow makes the trail much more challenging. There is no winter maintenance. The summer and fall months can be dry, so expect dusty trail conditions.
History
The Blacktail Wild Bill OHV trail was designated a National OHV trail in 1979. Over the years, two local clubs (Skyliners and Big Sky 4 Wheelers) have maintained the trail and built challenging features. The clubs have work weekends where they clean trash and do maintenance on the trail. In 2018 and 2019, Big Sky 4 Wheelers worked with the Forest Service to build and install kiosks on the trail to identify trail routes.