more stats
2,762 ft
Distance
80 ft
Climb
-13 ft
Descent
00:05:14
Avg time
69 ft
Altitude change
5,082 ft
Altitude min
5,164 ft
Altitude max
5,095 ft
Altitude start
5,164 ft
Altitude end
2.5%
Grade
-8.1%
Grade max
17.6%
Grade min
1,608 ft
Distance climb
469 ft
Distance down
686 ft
Distance flat
00:05:14
Avg time

Backside Trail Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
    • Snowshoe
  • Riding Area
    South Hills
    Helena, Montana
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond Rate
  • Local Popularity
    75 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 90 in Trail Running
    • 85 in Hiking
    • 5 in Snowshoeing
  • Global Ranking
    #86607 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #41717 in Trail Running
    • #52425 in Hiking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T2 Mountain Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Both Directions
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    No
  • Land Owner
    City of Helena

The Backside Trail is short but fun, and includes a few small rock features. It's mostly a connection between the Ridge Trail and Hogsback or Prospect Shafts. The grade is fairly level, and the trail offers nice views to the south.

Trail Supporters

  • USFS
    Land Manager
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 7 rides
  • 14 miles avg distance
All
  • 73 rides
  • Last: Jun 26, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
update trails status or condition

Backside Trail Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jan 4, 2026 @ 4:20pm (America/Denver)
Jan 4, 2026
 reporter Alternating wet mud and hard ice. Studded fat tires recommended.
Nov 28, 2025 @ 9:24am (America/Denver)
Nov 28, 2025
 reporter Snow on 11/27
Sep 1, 2025 @ 8:06am
Sep 1, 2025
Apr 19, 2025 @ 1:54pm
Apr 19, 2025
 reporter
Nov 16, 2024 @ 12:03pm
Nov 16, 2024
 reporter Snowfall on Nov 15th
more »
Status:
on Jan 4, 2026
Freeze/thaw Cycle
Avg: 3.89 (4 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (764)
close
  • Basemap  Map 
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
3D
Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users ridelogs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Ridden
Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
  • < 2 days
  • < 1 week
  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
  • < 6 months
  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more rides = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
  • most popular
  • popular
  • less popular
  • not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
cell carrier legend

Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Personal Heatmap
▶ Activity Types
all / none
▶ Options
2
Date range month
–
Winter Trails
Warning A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where riders jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status

Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.

map legend
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
disable
Only show trails with no bike usage.
Enable
Suggested Layers
Based on selected activity type

    Save the current map location and zoom level as your default home location whenever this page is loaded.

    Save
        Directions to backside-trail trailhead (46.588300, -112.071430)

        Photos

        4 more »
        55 |
        Sep 26, 2023 @ 11:40am
        Sep 26, 2023
        45 |
        Sep 26, 2023 @ 11:40am
        Sep 26, 2023
        63 |
        Jul 12, 2022 @ 11:13am
        Jul 12, 2022
        89 |
        May 18, 2017 @ 4:53pm
        May 18, 2017

        Videos

        1 more »
        Double black mountain biking in Helena - Hogsback
        12:23 | 301 | May 13, 2020 , Helena

        Trail Lists

        Routes with this trail

        236
        Mount Helena Ridge - Hogsback - Horse
        ★ 5.0 • 13 miles • 1,665 ft • 9 • Shuttled •
        This is a locals' favorite way to add a little more to a Trail Rider shuttle to the Mount Helena Ridge. As...
        192
        Show Me the Hog
        ★ 5.0 • 8 miles • 1,573 ft • 8 • Loop •
        Show Me the Hog is a great way to ride two marquee downhills in a ride under two hours. Climbing the is a...
        210
        Show Me the Hog
        ★ 4.0 • 6 miles • 1,401 ft • 6 • Loop •
        Sometimes it seems like a lot of work to get to the top of Mount Helena. While you're already on top of...

        Reviews / Comments

        No reviews yet, be the first to write a review or ask a question.
        Use trail reports to comment on trail conditions.


        We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

        Create a FREE account to view trail comments and much more.

        Create a Free Account

        Nearby Trails

        South Hills

        • By drewswayne & contributors
        • #5181 - 2,281 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Backside Trail

        ▼ Where is Backside Trail located?
        Backside Trail is located in South Hills, Helena, Montana, United States. It is part of the South Hills trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 46.5883, -112.07143.
        ▼ How hard is Backside Trail?
        Backside Trail is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 2.5%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Backside Trail?
        Backside Trail has 80 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 13 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 5,082 ft to 5,164 ft.
        ▼ Is Backside Trail a point to point trail?
        Backside Trail is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.

        Hit the Trail

        Open in App

        Get this trail on your phone instantly.
        open trail in app

        Download Trail

        Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
        save the trail

        Find Related Routes

        Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
        find routes for this trail

        You must enter a description before submitting.