more stats
2.7 miles
Distance
2,092 ft
Climb
-3 ft
Descent
02:05:29
Avg time
2,088 ft
Altitude change
6,714 ft
Altitude min
8,802 ft
Altitude max
6,714 ft
Altitude start
8,802 ft
Altitude end
14.5%
Grade
-2.1%
Grade max
55.8%
Grade min
3 miles
Distance climb
302 ft
Distance down
692 ft
Distance flat
02:05:29
Avg time

Haystack Mountain Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Basin
    , Montana
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond Rate
  • Local Popularity
    80 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 95 in Trail Running
    • 100 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #63159 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #31558 in Trail Running
    • #230267 in Hiking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Fat
  • Direction
    Both Directions
  • Climb Difficulty
    Double Black Diamond
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • TTFs on Trail
    Rock Garden
  • Land Owner
    USFS

The summit of Haystack Mountain has cool piles of granite boulders and provides great views in all directions.

The trail is steep with endless rock obstacles, and is one of the more technical trails close to Butte. It is a really fun downhill, but unfortunately you need to earn it first by riding up: which to put it bluntly is a brutally difficult climb. You will probably end up pushing your bike up some (maybe even most) of the way but it is worth it.

Access Info

Take Elk Park exit on I-15 and follow the frontage road north. At the large bend where the road goes under the highway take the dirt road with the no exit sign. 4wd vehicles can drive to the trailhead. Otherwise there is a large parking area at the bottom of the hill.

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 2 rides
  • 13.1 km avg distance
All
  • 5 rides
  • Last: Jul 11, 2026
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Haystack Mountain Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jun 23, 2026 @ 7:22am (America/Denver)
Jun 23, 2026
cleared haystack all the way to the top about 2 weeks ago, not sure if any has fallen since.. cut about 240 trees in 3 different days
Jun 3, 2025 @ 12:49pm
Jun 3, 2025
Cleared fallen timber up to 1.5 miles until my batteries were done for the saw. Im sure there are more further up the trail but the first bit is...
May 29, 2024 @ 7:45pm
May 29, 2024
Cleared 12 trees up to 1.5 miles. Some snow in shady areas. Otherwise ready to rip
Sep 30, 2023 @ 6:13am
Sep 30, 2023
Jun 28, 2023 @ 11:20am
Jun 28, 2023
 all clear top to bottom
more »
Status:
on Jun 23, 2026
Avg: 4.32 (3 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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  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
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  • One Direction
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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to haystack-mountain-306463 trailhead (46.162800, -112.345400)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        16 more »
        mtb
        105 |
        May 28, 2022 @ 7:02am
        May 28, 2022
        mtb
        90 |
        May 28, 2022 @ 7:02am
        May 28, 2022
        mtb
        87 |
        May 28, 2022 @ 7:02am
        May 28, 2022
        mtb
        91 |
        May 28, 2022 @ 7:02am
        May 28, 2022

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        Technical Trail Features (TTF)

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        5.0 ★★★★★
        3 Ratings
        5 ★ 100%
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        3 Reviews & Comments


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        Nearby Trails

        Basin

        • By MattinButteTF Pro ATS HCC & contributors
        • #306463 - 2,181 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Haystack Mountain

        ▼ Where is Haystack Mountain located?
        Haystack Mountain is located in Basin, Montana, United States. It is part of the Basin trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 46.1628, -112.3454.
        ▼ How hard is Haystack Mountain?
        Haystack Mountain is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The average grade is 14.5%. The climb difficulty is rated Double Black Diamond.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Haystack Mountain?
        Haystack Mountain has 2,092 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 3 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 6,714 ft to 8,802 ft.
        ▼ Is Haystack Mountain a point to point trail?
        Haystack Mountain is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Haystack Mountain?
        Haystack Mountain is 2.7 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Haystack Mountain?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Haystack Mountain. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Haystack Mountain?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Haystack Mountain are:
        • July (3 activities)
        • November (1 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Haystack Mountain? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Haystack Mountain are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Haystack Mountain?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 1 hour 33 minutes to ride Haystack Mountain. The trail is 2.7 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Haystack Mountain?
        Haystack Mountain is a very popular trail. There have been 42 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 70 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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