1.4 miles
Distance
36 ft
Climb
-261 ft
Descent
00:10:20
Avg time
Supporters, Builders, Maintainers & Land Managers of Mount Helena Ridge (Middle) Trail

Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
    • Horse
    • Snowshoe
    • Nordic Ski
  • Riding Area
    South Hills
    Helena, Montana
  • Ref Number
    #373
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (1 vote)
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Snow Grooming
    Backcountry
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Fat, CX, Gravel
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary
    Popular direction shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Easy
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Family Friendly
    Yes
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    No
  • TTFs on Trail
    Drop
  • Global Ranking
    #13793 in Mountain Biking
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 95 in Trail Running
    • 90 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
    • 5 in Snowshoeing
    • 5 in Skiing
  • Land Manager
    USFS

*The middle portion of the Mount Helena Ridge Trail runs from Mini Ridge Trail to Show-Me-The-Horse Trail.*

The Mount Helena Ridge Trail is the centerpiece of Helena's South Hills trail network. It runs for nearly six miles from the community of Park City to the Mount Helena City Park. It offers great views of the Helena Valley in either direction. The Ridge Trail also provides access to two popular downhills: Emmett's Trail and Show-Me-The-Horse Trail.

The trail starts with a climb of approximately 600' in 1.5 miles from the trailhead parking lot. This is the rockiest part of the trail, and the part that beginners or less-skilled intermediate riders will find challenging. From the top of the ridge, the trail tread is much smoother, and there is very little climbing ahead. The trail drops into a saddle via a series of switchbacks, and has a short, loose climb out of the saddle. From here, the trail is more open and follows the ridgeline. This is a great trail for all abilities, although advanced riders will prefer to exit onto one of the two downhills mentioned above.

Access Info

The middle Ridge Trail is commonly accessed either from the Park City Trail Head or from Mini Ridge

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
More Stats for Mount Helena Ridge Trail (Middle) bike trail trail
  • Altitude change
    -230 ft
  • Altitude min
    5,269 ft
  • Altitude max
    5,499 ft
  • Altitude start
    5,499 ft
  • Altitude end
    5,269 ft
  • Grade
    -3.1%
  • Grade max
    -25.8%
  • Grade min
    6.4%
  • Distance climb
    1,785 ft
  • Distance down
    4,560 ft
  • Distance flat
    1,125 ft
  • Avg time
    00:10:20
  • Avg reverse time
    00:16:32
  • view trail stats
Status:
on Jul 21, 2021
Very Dry
Avg: 4.5 (10 votes)

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  • Basemap 
  • Trail Style 
    • ?
  • Activity Type  
Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Ridden Direction
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The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
Trail Last Ridden
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  • < 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
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  • 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.
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Max Vehicle Width
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Radar Time
      Directions to mount-helena-ridge-trail-middle-51543 trailhead (46.563770, -112.117170)
      update trails status or condition

      Mount Helena... Trail Reports

      statusdatedescription
      Jul 21, 2021 @ 6:19pm
      2 days
      		 reporter
      Jul 17, 2021 @ 8:01pm
      Jul 17, 2021
      		 reporter Dusty dry everywhere
      Jul 4, 2021 @ 10:23am
      Jul 4, 2021
      		 reporter
      Jul 4, 2021 @ 8:17am
      Jul 4, 2021
      May 28, 2021 @ 7:11am
      May 28, 2021
      		 reporter The recent snow was just what trails needed.
      view all reports »

      Recent Ridelog Activity on Trail

      Past Week
      • 15 rides
      • 12 miles avg distance
      6 Months
      • 259 rides
      • 12 miles avg distance
      All
      • 1,562 rides
      •  

      Photos

      more »
      29 |
      Aug 6, 2019 @ 7:09am
      Aug 6, 2019
      51 |
      May 27, 2018 @ 8:17am
      May 27, 2018
      54 |
      May 27, 2018 @ 8:17am
      May 27, 2018
      63 |
      May 20, 2018 @ 8:14am
      May 20, 2018

      Routes with this trail

      more »
      titleratingdistance
      Mount Helena Ridge - Hogsback - Horse
      		13 miles
      Mount Helena Ridge - Emmett's - Horse
      		11 miles
      Freehub Magazine: Helena Ridge Trail to Show Me the Horse
      		6 miles
      Mount Helena Ridge - 2018 Construction Route
      		8 miles

      Reviews / Comments

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      South Hills

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