Open in App
Get this trail on your phone instantly.
more stats
1.4 miles
Distance
706 ft
Climb
-22 ft
Descent
00:45:30
Avg time
685 ft
Altitude change
7,910 ft
Altitude min
8,594 ft
Altitude max
7,910 ft
Altitude start
8,594 ft
Altitude end
9.065%
Grade
-9.521%
Grade max
29.01%
Grade min
1 mile
Distance climb
471 ft
Distance down
366 ft
Distance flat
00:45:30
Avg time
Trail Details
-
Activities
- Mountain Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
-
Riding AreaBasin
, Montana -
AKA
-
Difficulty Rating
-
Local Popularity
-
Global Ranking
-
State Ranking
-
Hiking SAC ScaleT2 Mountain Hiking
-
Trail TypeSingletrack
-
Bike TypeAM, XC, Fat
-
DirectionBoth Directions
-
Climb DifficultyBlue
-
Physical RatingModerate
-
Trail VisibilityAlways easy to follow
-
Alpine TrailYes
-
Dogs AllowedYes
-
eBike Allowed
-
Land OwnerUSFS
The top of Thunderbolt Mountain offers one of the most outstanding 360-degree views in the Helena area. All of the surrounding mountain ranges are visible from the peak. The high elevation and thick timber make this trail one of the last in the region to shed snow, and drifts are common into late June. Near the top, the trail skirts the CDT and recommended wilderness areas where bikes are not allowed, so resist doing any further exploring on your bike.
Trail Supporters
USFSLand Manager
Local Trail Association
-
-
Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to supportDonate to earn trail karma!
trail development & maintenance.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 0 rides
6 Months
- 2 rides
- 43 miles avg distance
All
- 8 rides
- Last: Oct 4, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Thunderbolt... Trail Reports
more »
close
3D
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)
Trailforks scans users activity logs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
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 Used
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
- < 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
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
- 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.
- most popular
- popular
- less popular
- not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
?
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
?
Winter Trails
Warning
A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status
![map legend]()
Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
Only show trails with no bike usage.
Suggested Layers
Based on selected activity type
Save the current map location and zoom level as your default home location whenever this page is loaded.
Save
Directions to thunderbolt-mountain-summit trailhead
(46.322169, -112.459810)
Photos
7 more »
Videos
no videos have been added for Thunderbolt Mountain Summit yet, add a video.
Trail Lists
-
Continental Divide Trail475 trailsNational Scenic Trail or Official Route
Routes with this trail
more »
★ 3.0 • 13 miles • 2,249 ft • 3 • Out & Back •
The top of Thunderbolt Mountain offers one of the most outstanding 360-degree views in the Helena area....
2,989 miles • 430,276 ft • 225 • Point to Point •
Reviews / Comments
No reviews yet, be the first to write a review or ask a question.
Use trail reports to comment on trail conditions.
We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!
Create a FREE account to view all trail reviews and much more.
Nearby Trails
- L.o. Connection 1 mile
- Middle Fork Cottonwood 2 miles
- Cdt Connector 2 miles
- Cliff Mountain Trail 3 miles
- Thunderbolt Mountain Trail 3 miles
- By evasive
MBG & contributors - #54023 - 3,530 views
- Follow/Subscribe
- login to download gpx or kml files.
Hit the Trail
Download Trail
Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
Find Related Routes
Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
You must enter a description before submitting.