Mountain Bike

6.7 miles

Distance

722 ft

Climb

-2,333 ft

Descent

1 mile

High Point

Helena Classic

Four miles of the Continental Divide Trail lead to a locals' favorite downhill on the Switchback Ridge Trail. The CDT portion doesn't climb very much, but it is strewn with very challenging rock gardens. The downhill is relatively buff until the last few hundred yards.

Exit Highway 12 at the Cromwell-Dixon Campground, and drive up the hill to the Continental Divide overlook. The trail starts at the stairs. There is a gate shortly after entering the forest; be sure to close it behind you. As the CDT rises into an open meadow, stay left towards the trees to start the downhill.

During the summer months, Bike Helena and Vigilante Shuttles & Tours runs shuttles from bottom of Switchback Ridge up to the CDT overlook. This is a great way to do this ride, as it eliminates a shuttle run or a long road climb. The schedule is available at the Bike Helena website: http://www.bikehelena.com/index.php/trail-rider/

Detailed Description

MacDonald Pass is a 7 mile popular expert route located near Helena Montana. This mountain bike primary route can be used one direction and has a moderate overall physical rating. This route includes 2 trails. This route climbs 722 ft with a max elevation of 6,739 ft then descends -2,333 ft.

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Trails in Route

	CDNST (MacDonald Pass to Switchback Ridge)				3 miles
	Switchback Ridge Trail				3 miles

Details

Featured
Riding area

Helena
Primary Activity

Mountain Bike
Other Activities
- Hike
- Trail Running
Difficulty rating

Black Diamond
Route Type

Shuttled
Bike type

DH, AM, XC, Fat
Direction

One Direction
Physical rating

Moderate
Ridelogs

83

More Stats for MacDonald Pass mountain bike route

Avg time

1 hr 31 min
Altitude change

-1,611 ft
Altitude min

4,804 ft
Altitude start

6,415 ft
Altitude end

4,803 ft
Grade

-4.6%
Grade max

-67.7%
Grade min

44.8%
Distance climb

2 miles
Distance down

4 miles
Distance flat

1,115 ft

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ATV/ORV/OHV Filter

ATV - 50 inches
OHV, SxS - 60 inches
Jeep - 72 inches

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Winter Trails

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x Missing Trails

status	trail	date	condition	description
	CDNST (MacDonald Pass to Switchback Ridge)	Jul 4, 2024 @ 10:04am Jul 4, 2024		Forest service continues with a big thinning project.
	Switchback Ridge Trail	Jun 23, 2024 @ 2:16pm Jun 23, 2024		Still trees down above first mile or so from the bottom. Looks like there's been recent progress though.