more stats
3.6 miles
Distance
-1,407 ft
Descent
00:14:48
Avg time
-1,409 ft
Altitude change
3,631 ft
Altitude min
5,040 ft
Altitude max
5,040 ft
Altitude start
3,632 ft
Altitude end
-7.3%
Grade
-34.3%
Grade max
1.7%
Grade min
233 ft
Distance climb
4 miles
Distance down
374 ft
Distance flat
00:14:48
Avg time

Spring Gulch Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
    • Snowshoe
    • Backcountry Ski
  • Riding Area
    The Rattlesnake
    Missoula, Montana
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Local Popularity
    75 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 50 in Trail Running
    • 75 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
    • 100 in Snowshoeing
    • 5 in Backcountry Skiing
  • Global Ranking
    #78609 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #117920 in Trail Running
    • #83447 in Hiking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Snow Grooming
    Backcountry
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    May - October
  • Family Friendly
    Yes
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    No
  • Land Owner
    USFS

Probably the best descent in the main Rattlesnake. After riding the overlook trail, you wind up and down through the woods for a little, before the trail gets steep, rooty and and fun. To avoid the smooth part at the end take a sharp left at the sign for Wallman, and head up for another fun descent

Trail Supporters

  • USFS
    Land Manager
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 1 rides
  • 37 miles average
6 Months
  • 19 rides
  • 21 miles avg distance
All
  • 189 rides
  • Last: Aug 19, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Spring Gulch Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jul 29, 2026 @ 1:24pm (America/Denver)
Jul 29, 2026
 All clear!
Jul 25, 2026 @ 10:15am (America/Denver)
Jul 25, 2026
 Medium sized tree down about ¼ mile beyond the Curry junction. Could be cleared with a good handsaw and a bit of work.
May 2, 2026 @ 9:47am (America/Denver)
May 2, 2026
Apr 5, 2026 @ 6:30pm (America/Denver)
Apr 5, 2026
 Biked and hiked up with chainsaw, trees are cleared, trail is in good shape.
Mar 24, 2026 @ 5:18pm (America/Denver)
Mar 24, 2026
 I went up to the lookout hoping it would clear on the way down. It did not. Lots of snow and downed trees.
more »
Status:
on Jul 29, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 3.99 (10 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
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
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The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
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 activity logs 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 activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
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Jump Magnitude Heatmap
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BC Backroad Status

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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 spring-gulch trailhead (46.973640, -113.964780)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        16 more »
        mtb
        47 |
        Apr 30, 2026 @ 8:48pm
        Apr 30, 2026
        mtb
        51 |
        Aug 10, 2025 @ 7:16pm
        Aug 10, 2025
        mtb
        61 |
        Jun 18, 2023 @ 8:16pm
        Jun 18, 2023
        mtb
        204 |
        Aug 23, 2020 @ 8:30pm
        Aug 23, 2020

        Videos

        1 more »
        youtuber Spring Gulch - The Rattlesnake - Missoula, MT
        mtb
        11:11 | 295 | Sep 27, 2022 , Missoula

        Technical Trail Features (TTF)

        Routes with this trail

        64
        MTBM - Overlook - Rattlesnake - Blue
        13 miles • 2,579 ft • 8 •
        A longer classic loop in the Rattlesnake. Ride time 2-3 hours with long climbs, technical descending, and...
        84
        Snowbowl Overlook Loop
        ★ 2.5 • 10 miles • 1,934 ft • 11 • Loop •
        Climb up to the and then descend back to the parking lot.
        74
        Butler to RSNAKE TH
        20 miles • 3,443 ft • 7 •
        Part one of Big Rsnake Ride
        4.0 ★★★★★
        10 Ratings
        5 ★ 30%
        4 ★ 50%
        3 ★ 10%
        2 ★ 10%
        1 ★

        6 Reviews & Comments


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        Nearby Trails

        The Rattlesnake

        • By lukeanders83TF Pro & contributors
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        Frequently Asked Questions About Spring Gulch

        ▼ Where is Spring Gulch located?
        Spring Gulch is located in The Rattlesnake, Missoula, Montana, United States. It is part of the The Rattlesnake trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 46.97364, -113.96478.
        ▼ How hard is Spring Gulch?
        Spring Gulch is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 7.3%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Spring Gulch?
        The trail has 1,407 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 3,631 ft to 5,040 ft.
        ▼ Is Spring Gulch a point to point trail?
        Spring Gulch is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Spring Gulch?
        Spring Gulch is 3.6 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Spring Gulch?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Spring Gulch. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Spring Gulch?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Spring Gulch are:
        • July (35 activities)
        • August (18 activities)
        • May (18 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Spring Gulch? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Spring Gulch are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Spring Gulch?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 14 minutes to ride Spring Gulch. The trail is 3.6 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Spring Gulch?
        Spring Gulch is a very popular trail. There have been 1,375 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 1,356 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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