1.4 miles
Distance
36 ft
Climb
-265 ft
Descent
00:10:30
Avg time
Supporters, Builders, Maintainers & Land Managers of Mount Helena Ridge (Middle) Trail

Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
    • 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
    Both Directions
    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
    #5228 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #19450 in Trail Running
    • #9002 in Hiking
    • #3596 in Skiing
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 100 in Trail Running
    • 90 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
    • 5 in Snowshoeing
    • 5 in Skiing
  • Land Owner
    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) multi-use trail trail
  • Altitude change
    -233 ft
  • Altitude min
    5,267 ft
  • Altitude max
    5,499 ft
  • Altitude start
    5,499 ft
  • Altitude end
    5,266 ft
  • Grade
    -3.1%
  • Grade max
    -30.3%
  • Grade min
    14.3%
  • Distance climb
    1,752 ft
  • Distance down
    5,059 ft
  • Distance flat
    679 ft
  • Avg time
    00:10:30
  • Avg reverse time
    00:20:05
  • view trail stats
Status:
on Sep 24, 2023
Ideal
Avg: 4.3 (14 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
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  • Snow Groomed
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  • Snow Cover Inadequate
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
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      Directions to mount-helena-ridge-trail-middle-51543 trailhead (46.563770, -112.117170)
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      Mount Helena... Trail Reports

      statusdatedescription
      Sep 24, 2023 @ 5:06am
      Sep 24, 2023
      		 reporter
      Aug 18, 2023 @ 8:41am
      Aug 18, 2023
      		 reporter
      Jul 4, 2023 @ 7:25am
      Jul 4, 2023
      		 reporter
      Jun 29, 2023 @ 8:50am
      Jun 29, 2023
      May 14, 2023 @ 3:24pm
      May 14, 2023
      view all reports »

      Recent Ridelog Activity on Trail

      Past Week
      • 0 rides
      •  
      6 Months
      • 289 rides
      • 14 miles avg distance
      All
      • 2,736 rides
      • Last: Aug 19, 2023

      Photos

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      Routes with this trail

      more »
      titledistance
      Mount Helena Ridge - Hogsback - Horse13 miles
      Mount Helena Ridge - Emmett's - Horse11 miles
      Freehub Magazine: Helena Ridge Trail to Show Me the Horse6 miles
      South Hills Tour28 miles

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      Videos

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      Free Mountain Bike Shuttles in Helena, MT
      4:59 | 202 | Jul 28, 2021 , Helena

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