USFS National Forest System Trails · Lolo National Forest · Montana · Updated June 2026
Dry-Wilkes Divide (USFS trail 578) is a 10.6 mi trail in Lolo National Forest, Montana. Mountain-bike use here is accepted but discouraged in USFS data, with Class 1 e-bikes also designated.
Can I bike Dry-Wilkes Divide?
| Use | Status | Season on record |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain bike | Accepted but discouraged | — |
| Class 1 e-bike (pedal-assist, 20 mph) | Allowed | May–Oct |
| Class 2 e-bike (throttle, 20 mph) | Allowed | May–Oct |
| Class 3 e-bike (pedal-assist, 28 mph) | Allowed | May–Oct |
Zooming out: across Lolo National Forest, 34% of rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes — a Bike Access Grade of C.
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About this trail
Dry-Wilkes Divide (USFS trail 578) runs 10.6 mi through Lolo National Forest in Montana. This profile summarizes what the official US Forest Service trail record says about riding it: how long the trail is, what it's built on, how steep the route grades out, and which forms of bike use the agency has designated. The tread is mapped as native material. Based on slope, this is a Advanced trail (grade band 12-20%); that reflects steep gradient and is not the same as a technical MTB difficulty rating. For traditional mountain bikes, use is discouraged according to USFS data. On the electric side, Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bikes are also designated (May–Oct) — 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 Dry-Wilkes Divide?
- Mountain-bike use on Dry-Wilkes Divide 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 Dry-Wilkes Divide?
- Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bikes are designated on Dry-Wilkes Divide in the USFS data.
- How long is Dry-Wilkes Divide?
- Dry-Wilkes Divide measures about 10.6 mi in total, summed across its mapped National Forest System segments.
- What is the surface of Dry-Wilkes Divide?
- USFS data records the tread surface of Dry-Wilkes Divide as native material.
- How difficult is Dry-Wilkes Divide?
- Its grade-based difficulty is Advanced (grade band 12-20%), derived from USFS slope data. This reflects steepness, not technical mountain-bike difficulty.
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 Lolo National Forest (USFS trail geometry isn't mapped).
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