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CanIBikeHere

Updated October 2026

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Mountain Bike Trails

Mountain bike

2,202mi

designated on 497 segments

61% of mapped trail

E-bike

1,178miClass 1

designated on 323 segments

33% of mapped trail

Mountain bike

2,202mi

designated on 497 segments

61% of mapped trail

Season on record
Year-round
Bike Access Grade
A91% of rideable miles open to bikes. How we grade

E-bike

1,178miClass 1

designated on 323 segments

  • Class 11,178 mi
  • Class 21,178 mi
  • Class 31,178 mi

Treated as a motor vehicle: ridden only where designated.

Ridable trails
487
Mapped trail
3,588 mi on 1,626 segments

Both lanes share one scale: the 3,588 mi of National Forest System trail mapped in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Montana. From USFS National Forest System Trails records, updated October 2026.

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest earns a Bike Access Grade of A: 91% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Excellent — most rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access too.

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest carries 3,588 mi of mapped National Forest System trail, of which 2,202 mi across 497 segments is designated for mountain bikes, typically open Year-round. Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 323 segments (1,178 mi).

What the USFS data shows for Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

Of the 3,588 mi of mapped trail in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, 61% — 2,202 mi across 497 bike-designated segments — is open to mountain bikes in USFS travel-management data.

Tread is overwhelmingly native dirt: USFS lists native material on 1,404 of 1,619 surfaced segments (87%).

On the USFS difficulty rating, advanced is the most common designation here — 3 of 3 rated segments (100%) — across all uses, not bikes alone.

USFS records a year-round bike season for this forest, though high-elevation trails clear later in practice.

The longest single named bike segment in the data is Continental Divide at 69.09 mi on native dirt and open Year-round.

Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 323 segments (1,178 mi), and 11 segments carry an ADA-accessibility flag in the same dataset.

Trail surface

  • Native Material1,404
  • Snow203
  • Imported Compacted Material6
  • Imported Loose Material3
  • Asphalt3

USFS trail class (1 = primitive · 5 = developed)

  • Class 3723
  • Class 2712
  • Class 4109
  • Class 178
  • Class 53

61% of this forest's mapped trail is bike-designated. Note: USFS records trail grade (steepness), not technical MTB difficulty — we surface grade where present but do not infer a black/blue/green rating from it.

Largest bike-designated trails

TrailMiles
Continental DivideNative MaterialYear-round69.09
Continental DivideNative MaterialYear-round51.76
Two Med-Heart ButteNative MaterialYear-round29.79
Poe ParkNative MaterialYear-round24.88
Dry Pole CreekNative MaterialYear-round22.28
North Fork TetonNative MaterialYear-round20.51
Lewis And Clark PassNative MaterialYear-round20.44
TenderfootNative Material20.28
Landers Fork TrailNative MaterialYear-round19.27
Lange CreekNative MaterialYear-round19.1
Crow CreekNative MaterialYear-round18.16
Mortimer GulchNative MaterialYear-round17.96
Moose CreekNative MaterialYear-round17.16
Edith LakeNative MaterialYear-round16.76
Route Creek PassNative MaterialYear-round16.2
Belt Mountain DivideNative MaterialYear-round16.12
Deep Creek-Biggs CreekNative MaterialYear-round15.93
South Birch CrNative MaterialYear-round15.49
Pilgrim CreekNative MaterialYear-round15.14
Dry Creek TrailNative MaterialYear-round14.85
Rierdon GulchNative MaterialYear-round14.66
Old BaldyNative MaterialYear-round14.49
Mt Frazier-Chicken CouleeNative MaterialYear-round14.07
Rock CreekNative MaterialYear-round13.99
Bilk MountainNative MaterialYear-round13.85

Every trail in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

All 487 ridable trails in this forest — every trail where USFS data designates mountain-bike or Class 1 e-bike use, grouped by grade-based steepness. Grade reflects slope, not technical difficulty. Each trail links to its full data profile.

Grade not recorded (487)

No grade band recorded in the USFS data.

CSV

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest bike-legal trail list (CSV)

Download all 487 bike- and Class 1 e-bike-designated trails in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest — name, miles, surface, grade, season, and e-bike class per trail, straight from USFS data.

E-bikes in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

Class 1 on 323 segments · Class 2 on 323 · Class 3 on 323. See full e-bike rules for Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest →

Where it is

Approximate center of Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. USFS trail geometry isn't mapped here — use the ranger district for trailheads.

Frequently asked questions

What is the bike access grade for Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest?
Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest earns a Bike Access Grade of A: 91% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Excellent — most rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access too.
How many miles of mountain bike trail are in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest?
Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest has about 2,202 mi of bike-designated trail across 497 segments, out of 3,588 mi of total National Forest System trail.
What is the riding season in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest?
Most bike-designated trails in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest carry a Year-round season in USFS data; higher-elevation trails clear later.
Are e-bikes allowed in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest?
Only where designated. Class 1 e-bikes are recorded on 323 segments. See the e-bike rules page for the class-by-class breakdown.

Where to stay near Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

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