Kootenai National Forest OHV Trails

The Beartooth Mountains OHV trail network in the Custer Gallatin National Forest covers the high-alpine terrain surrounding Red Lodge in Carbon County, Montana — the eastern gateway to the Beartooth Pass and Yellowstone National Park north entrance, at the northern edge of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. The designated OHV routes in the district wind through the subalpine and alpine terrain of the Beartooth Plateau's flanks at elevations from 5,600 feet at the Rock Creek valley floor to over 9,500 feet on the upper ridge routes approaching the Beartooth Plateau proper. The terrain is quintessential Northern Rockies high country: lodgepole pine and Douglas fir forest on the lower slopes transitioning to Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir at mid-elevation, then to the krummholz and alpine tundra of the Beartooth Plateau above treeline around 9,500 feet. The Beartooth Plateau itself is one of the largest contiguous areas of land above 10,000 feet in the lower 48 states, and while the plateau core is wilderness (and closed to motorized use), the flanking national forest routes give OHV riders access to the subalpine approach terrain with views across the Beartooths and toward the Absaroka Range to the south. ATVs, UTVs, and dirt bikes are permitted on designated routes; Montana OHV registration is required for all machines. Dispersed camping is available throughout the national forest under 14-night limits. The Beartooth Ranger District (406-446-2103) manages current trail status and posts seasonal gate schedules — the alpine access windows are genuinely short and snow can persist on north-facing routes into mid-July in heavy snowpack years.

Clancy OHV Area is a 5,800-acre BLM riding facility in Jefferson County, approximately 10 miles south of Helena, Montana, accessed via I-15 South to Exit 182 and Sheep Mountain Road. The area features 11 miles of professionally designed and signed loop trails through ponderosa pine forest on hard-packed dirt with some sandy sections — a contained, beginner-through-intermediate system that contrasts with the vast dispersed riding of the surrounding Helena-area BLM lands. Motorcycles, ATVs, and UTVs up to 50 inches wide are the primary permitted vehicle classes; full-size 4x4 vehicles are not permitted on the OHV trail loops. The compact 5,800-acre footprint with 11 miles of signed loops creates a very different riding experience from the larger dispersed-riding areas — this is a structured system appropriate for families, newer riders learning trail etiquette, and those wanting a known-quality trail experience rather than open-ended exploration. No entry fee; the area is open year-round with trails accessible whenever weather and ground conditions permit. The Helena proximity makes Clancy a frequent after-work and weekend destination for Lewis and Clark County riders. Contact the BLM Helena Field Office (406-255-2888) for current conditions and parking information.

Custer Gallatin National Forest's Bozeman Ranger District manages OHV trail access on the east side of the Bridger Range and into the Bangtail Mountains north of Bozeman in Gallatin County, Montana — mountain terrain visible from downtown Bozeman that offers a dramatic alpine and subalpine riding environment within 30 minutes of the city. The Bangtail Divide trail system and the Jackson Creek ATV corridor are the primary OHV-designated areas, with trails following old logging roads and purpose-built routes through mixed lodgepole and spruce-fir forest. Elevation ranges from approximately 5,000 feet in the valleys to over 8,000 feet on Bangtail Ridge, where high-country views extend across the Gallatin Valley and toward Yellowstone. OHV widths are restricted to 50 inches on designated trails. Motor Vehicle Use Maps from the Bozeman Ranger District office (406-522-2520) are essential for navigation — the trail network is distributed across a broad landscape and not all roads in the area are open to motorized travel. Seasonal snow keeps upper-elevation trails closed until late June most years; fall riding through mid-October offers the most reliable conditions and spectacular larch color. Contact the Bozeman Ranger District for current seasonal access.

Flathead National Forest encompasses 2.4 million acres of northwestern Montana — one of the largest contiguous national forests in the lower 48, wrapping around Glacier National Park to the south and west and including the Great Bear Wilderness, the Mission Mountains Wilderness, and extensive working national forest land in Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, and Missoula counties. Within this vast forest, the USDA Forest Service designates an extensive OHV trail and forest road network for motorized access, concentrated in the areas outside the wilderness boundaries where working-forest management accommodates multi-use recreation. The Flathead's terrain is the classic western Montana Continental Divide landscape: dense Rocky Mountain conifer forest of lodgepole pine, western larch, Engelmann spruce, and subalpine fir; the U-shaped glaciated valleys carved by the Laurentide Ice Sheet and subsequent alpine glaciation; the exposed limestone and dolomite bedrock of the Rocky Mountain Front where the plains meet the peaks; and the drainage corridors of the Flathead River system whose North, Middle, and South forks define the forest's major access routes. The Swan Valley, the Flathead Valley, the North Fork corridor, and the Spotted Bear Ranger District all offer distinct OHV riding opportunities within the forest. ATVs, UTVs, and dirt bikes are permitted on designated motorized routes; full-size 4x4 trucks can access the extensive forest road network. Montana OHV registration is required. The Flathead National Forest supervisor's office in Kalispell (406-758-5204) coordinates district-level trail information across the four ranger districts.