5.9 miles
Distance
2,483 ft
Climb
-1,155 ft
Descent
01:41:58
Avg time
Supporters, Builders, Maintainers & Land Managers of Hanging Valley Trail

Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
    • Snowshoe
    • Nordic Ski
  • Riding Area
    York
    Helena, Montana
  • Ref Number
    #247
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue rate
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Fat
  • Direction
    Both Directions
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    May - November
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    No
  • Global Ranking
    #45664 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #27333 in Hiking
  • Local Popularity
    40 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 5 in Trail Running
    • 70 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
    • 5 in Snowshoeing
    • 5 in Nordic Skiing
  • Land Owner
    USFS

Hanging Valley is a classic Helena ride. It features a steep climb with a lot of water bars to the Magpie Divide, where you turn left and continue to climb to the rim of Hanging Valley. From that point, there is a steep descent into Hanging Valley, which becomes unrideable at a point which varies according to skill. The very bottom of Hanging Valley provides a cliff-edge view into Trout Creek Canyon below. The climb out of Hanging Valley is steep, and is likely to include some hike-a-bike.

Access Info

The Hanging Valley trailhead is located in the Vigilante Campground loop. The campground is located at the end of the Trout Creek Road, eight miles past York.

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
More Stats for Hanging Valley Trail multi-use trail trail
  • Altitude change
    1,328 ft
  • Altitude min
    4,431 ft
  • Altitude max
    6,820 ft
  • Altitude start
    4,432 ft
  • Altitude end
    5,761 ft
  • Grade
    4.3%
  • Grade max
    -137%
  • Grade min
    76.1%
  • Distance climb
    4 miles
  • Distance down
    2 miles
  • Distance flat
    151 ft
  • Avg time
    01:41:58
  • Avg reverse time
    01:31:54
  • view trail stats
Status:
on Oct 27, 2024
Dry
Avg: 4.11 (2 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
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  • hiking (1 year)
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  • Backcountry Ski
  • Nordic Ski
  • Snowmobile
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      Directions to hanging-valley-trail trailhead (46.767183, -111.650426)
      update trails status or condition

      Hanging Valley Trail Trail Reports

      statusdatedescription
      Oct 27, 2024 @ 7:43am
      Oct 27, 2024
      Sep 21, 2024 @ 3:24pm
      Sep 21, 2024
      		 As of 9/21/24 the trail is in good condition and riding nicely. There are 14 downed trees between the campground and the overlook, most are easy...
      Jul 12, 2024 @ 7:09am
      Jul 12, 2024
      		 reporter Trail Closure due to Horse Gulch Fire
      Jul 12, 2024 @ 7:05am
      Jul 12, 2024
      		 reporter Trail Closure due to Horse Gulch Fire
      May 27, 2022 @ 7:32am
      May 27, 2022
      		 The dirt is perfect. Quite a few large trees down on the hanging valley side which wouldn’t be any fun to deal with on a bike. No snow, no mud
      view all reports »

      Recent Ridelog Activity on Trail

      Past Week
      • 0 rides
      •  
      6 Months
      • 0 rides
      •  
      All
      • 3 rides
      • Last: Sep 21, 2024

      Technical Trail Features (TTF)

      Photos

      more »
      127 |
      Jul 12, 2019 @ 11:13am
      Jul 12, 2019
      118 |
      Jul 12, 2019 @ 11:13am
      Jul 12, 2019
      134 |
      Jul 12, 2019 @ 11:13am
      Jul 12, 2019
      117 |
      Jul 12, 2019 @ 11:13am
      Jul 12, 2019

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