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USFS National Forest System Trails · Montana · Updated June 2026

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Mountain Bike Trails

ABike Access Grade A — 91% of rideable miles open to bikes. How we grade

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).

Reviewed by CanIBikeHere Editorial Team · Updated
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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.

A
Bike Access Grade
91% of rideable miles bike-open
487
Ridable trails
with their own page
2,202 mi
Bike-designated
497 segments
3,588 mi
Total NFS trail
1,626 segments
1,178 mi
Class 1 e-bike
323 segments

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

TrailMilesSurfaceTrail classBike season
Continental Divide69.09Native Material—Year-round
Continental Divide51.76Native Material—Year-round
Two Med-Heart Butte29.79Native Material—Year-round
Poe Park24.88Native Material—Year-round
Dry Pole Creek22.28Native Material—Year-round
North Fork Teton20.51Native Material—Year-round
Lewis And Clark Pass20.44Native Material—Year-round
Tenderfoot20.28Native Material——
Landers Fork Trail19.27Native Material—Year-round
Lange Creek19.1Native Material—Year-round
Crow Creek18.16Native Material—Year-round
Mortimer Gulch17.96Native Material—Year-round
Moose Creek17.16Native Material—Year-round
Edith Lake16.76Native Material—Year-round
Route Creek Pass16.2Native Material—Year-round
Belt Mountain Divide16.12Native Material—Year-round
Deep Creek-Biggs Creek15.93Native Material—Year-round
South Birch Cr15.49Native Material—Year-round
Pilgrim Creek15.14Native Material—Year-round
Dry Creek Trail14.85Native Material—Year-round
Rierdon Gulch14.66Native Material—Year-round
Old Baldy14.49Native Material—Year-round
Mt Frazier-Chicken Coulee14.07Native Material—Year-round
Rock Creek13.99Native Material—Year-round
Bilk Mountain13.85Native Material—Year-round

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.

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