USFS National Forest System Trails · Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest · Montana · Updated June 2026
Hunters Gulch Connection (USFS trail 231) is a 7.9 mi trail in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Montana. Mountain-bike use here is accepted but discouraged in USFS data, with Class 1 e-bikes also designated.
Can I bike Hunters Gulch Connection?
| Use | Status | Season on record |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain bike | Accepted but discouraged | — |
| Class 1 e-bike (pedal-assist, 20 mph) | Allowed | Jan–Oct, December |
| Class 2 e-bike (throttle, 20 mph) | Allowed | Jan–Oct, December |
| Class 3 e-bike (pedal-assist, 28 mph) | Allowed | Jan–Oct, December |
Zooming out: across Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, 91% of rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes — a Bike Access Grade of A.
Watch Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest for access changes
Email me when USFS mountain-bike or e-bike designations change for trails in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Free, unsubscribe anytime.
About this trail
Hunters Gulch Connection (USFS trail 231) is a 7.9 mi trail in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Montana. Everything below comes straight from the US Forest Service National Forest System Trails dataset — length, surface, slope-derived difficulty, and the specific bike and e-bike designations on record — so you can check legality before you load up. Underfoot, the trail is recorded as native material. No grade band is recorded, so a steepness-based difficulty isn't available for this trail. Note that mountain-bike use here is discouraged in USFS records — confirm with the ranger district before riding. On the electric side, Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bikes are also designated (Jan–Oct, December) — Class 1 being pedal-assist only, Classes 2 and 3 adding a throttle and higher assisted speed. The route is mapped as USFS Trail Class 2 on the agency's 1-to-5 development scale, where 1 is the most primitive, minimally maintained tread and 5 is the most developed. Because conditions, closures, and local orders change between data refreshes, confirm the current status with the managing ranger district before you ride.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you mountain bike on Hunters Gulch Connection?
- Mountain-bike use on Hunters Gulch Connection is discouraged in USFS records, though Class 1 e-bike use is designated. Confirm current rules with the managing ranger district.
- Are e-bikes allowed on Hunters Gulch Connection?
- Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bikes are designated on Hunters Gulch Connection in the USFS data.
- How long is Hunters Gulch Connection?
- Hunters Gulch Connection measures about 7.9 mi in total, summed across its mapped National Forest System segments.
- What is the surface of Hunters Gulch Connection?
- USFS data records the tread surface of Hunters Gulch Connection as native material.
How we read this data
Grade-based difficulty above is the USFS grade (route steepness), not a technical mountain-bike rating — a gentle-grade trail can still be rocky or technical, and vice versa. Bike and e-bike status come verbatim from the USFS managed-use fields for this trail; we never infer access we can't cite. See our methodology for how the dataset is built and what each field means.
Where it is
Approximate location of Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest (USFS trail geometry isn't mapped).
Where to stay near Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest
Find hotels, cabins, and vacation rentals near Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest — plan your ride.
Top-rated places to stay near Helena-Lewis and Clark 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 Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest?
Trail-access updates and trip ideas by email.