USFS National Forest System Trails · Montana · Updated June 2026
Kootenai National Forest Mountain Bike Trails
Kootenai National Forest earns a Bike Access Grade of B: 55% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Good — a solid majority of rideable miles welcome bikes.
Kootenai National Forest carries 1,820 mi of mapped National Forest System trail, of which 120 mi across 37 segments is designated for mountain bikes, typically open Jun–Oct. Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 30 segments (101 mi).
What the USFS data shows for Kootenai National Forest
Of the 1,820 mi of mapped trail in Kootenai National Forest, 7% — 120 mi across 37 bike-designated segments — is open to mountain bikes in USFS travel-management data.
Tread is overwhelmingly native dirt: USFS lists native material on 1,947 of 2,087 surfaced segments (93%).
On the USFS difficulty rating, advanced is the most common designation here — 1,206 of 2,087 rated segments (58%) — across all uses, not bikes alone.
The headline bike season runs Jun–Oct; individual segments vary, with 5 distinct season windows recorded across the sampled bike trails.
The longest single named bike segment in the data is Black Peak at 12.18 mi on native dirt, rated advanced by USFS.
Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 30 segments (101 mi), and 9 segments carry an ADA-accessibility flag in the same dataset.
Trail surface
- Native Material1,947
- Snow113
- Imported Compacted Material13
- Imported Loose Material11
- Asphalt2
USFS trail class (1 = primitive · 5 = developed)
- Class 31,535
- Class 2405
- Class 4118
- Class 125
- Class 54
7% 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
| Trail | Miles | Surface | Trail class | Bike season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Peak | 12.18 | Native Material | — | — |
| Swede Mtn Bike Trail | 11.33 | Native Material | — | Year-round |
| Mcguire/Inch | 10.42 | Native Material | — | Jun–Oct |
| Cliff Point/Thirsty Mountain | 9.93 | Native Material | — | Jun–Oct |
| Lydia Pinkham | 9.59 | Native Material | — | Jun–Oct |
| Bobtail Ridge | 8.19 | Native Material | — | May–Nov |
| Canyon Divide | 8.14 | Native Material | — | — |
| Sorrel Gulch | 6.69 | Native Material | — | — |
| 20 Odd Atv | 6.15 | Native Material | — | — |
| Turner Mountain | 5.79 | Native Material | — | Jun–Oct |
| Starry Goat | 5.59 | Native Material | — | May–Nov |
| 20 Odd Peak | 5.54 | Native Material | — | — |
| Cripple Horse | 5.4 | Native Material | — | — |
| Stevens Ridge | 4.98 | Native Material | — | — |
| Elk Mtn. | 4.91 | Native Material | — | Jun–Oct |
| Trout Ridge | 4.74 | Native Material | — | — |
| Reader Gulch | 4.28 | Native Material | — | — |
| Sheldon Mountain | 4.21 | Native Material | — | May–Oct |
| Webb Mountain | 4.1 | Native Material | — | Jun–Oct |
| Alexander Mountain | 3.99 | Native Material | — | — |
| Sheldon Mountain B | 3.98 | Native Material | — | May–Oct |
| Loveland Peak | 3.94 | Native Material | — | — |
| Sheldon Mountain C | 3.93 | Native Material | — | May–Oct |
| Dixie Ridge | 3.85 | Native Material | — | — |
| Warex Peak | 3.83 | Native Material | — | Jun–Oct |
Every trail in Kootenai National Forest
All 53 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.
Easy grade (20)
Gentle grade band (shallow average slope).
- Swede Mtn Bike Trail11.3 mi · bike
- Lydia Pinkham9.6 mi · bike
- 20 Odd Atv6.2 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Starry Goat5.6 mi · bike
- Trout Ridge4.7 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Sheldon Mountain B4 mi · bike
- Sheldon Mountain C3.9 mi · bike
- Warex Peak3.8 mi · bike
- Beartrap Mountain3.5 mi · bike
- Sheldon Mountain D3 mi · bike
- Wood Creek Scenic Larch Trail2.6 mi · bike
- Troy Walking Path1.9 mi · bike
- Bighorn/Black Eagle Rock1.7 mi · bike
- Whoop Up1.5 mi · bike
- Sheldon Mountain E1.5 mi · bike
- Parmenter Flat1.4 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Swisher Lake1.3 mi · bike
- Elk Lake Atv Trail0.9 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Sheldon Mountain Tie N0.8 mi · bike
- Sheldon Mountain Tie M0.6 mi · bike
Advanced grade (31)
Steep grade band.
- Black Peak12.2 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Cliff Point/Thirsty Mountain9.9 mi · bike
- Bobtail Ridge8.2 mi · bike
- Canyon Divide8.1 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Sorrel Gulch6.7 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Turner Mountain5.8 mi · bike
- 20 Odd Peak5.5 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Cripple Horse5.4 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Stevens Ridge5 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Elk Mtn.4.9 mi · bike + e-bike
- Reader Gulch4.3 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Sheldon Mountain4.2 mi · bike
- Webb Mountain4.1 mi · bike
- Alexander Mountain4 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Loveland Peak3.9 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Dixie Ridge3.9 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- North Fork Big Creek3.8 mi · bike
- South Fork Pilgrim Creek3.7 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Kismet Creek3.2 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Sheldon Mountain A3.1 mi · bike
- Smeads Bench2.9 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Alvord Lake2.6 mi · bike
- Lower Boulder2.5 mi · bike
- Skeleton Creek2.1 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Minton Pass2 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Grays Gulch1.9 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Cub Creek1.9 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Slimmer Creek1.8 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Ziegler Mountain1.3 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- White Pine Ridge1.3 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Horse Hill1.2 mi · Class 1 e-bike
Kootenai National Forest bike-legal trail list (CSV)
Download all 53 bike- and Class 1 e-bike-designated trails in Kootenai National Forest — name, miles, surface, grade, season, and e-bike class per trail, straight from USFS data.
E-bikes in Kootenai National Forest
Class 1 on 30 segments · Class 2 on 30 · Class 3 on 30. See full e-bike rules for Kootenai National Forest →
Where it is
Approximate center of Kootenai 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 Kootenai National Forest?
- Kootenai National Forest earns a Bike Access Grade of B: 55% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Good — a solid majority of rideable miles welcome bikes.
- How many miles of mountain bike trail are in Kootenai National Forest?
- Kootenai National Forest has about 120 mi of bike-designated trail across 37 segments, out of 1,820 mi of total National Forest System trail.
- What is the riding season in Kootenai National Forest?
- Most bike-designated trails in Kootenai National Forest carry a Jun–Oct season in USFS data; higher-elevation trails clear later.
- Are e-bikes allowed in Kootenai National Forest?
- Only where designated. Class 1 e-bikes are recorded on 30 segments. See the e-bike rules page for the class-by-class breakdown.
More Montana national forests
2,209 mi bike trail
2,202 mi bike trail
182 mi bike trail
79.6 mi bike trail
54.3 mi bike trail
0 mi bike trail
Where to stay near Kootenai National Forest
Cabins, lodges, and campgrounds near Kootenai National Forest in Montana — compare places to stay for a mountain-bike trip.
Top-rated places to stay near Kootenai National Forest
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Riding Kootenai National Forest?
Trail-access updates and Montana trip ideas by email.