Montana Off-Road Trails

South Medicine Lodge Road offers a fun and scenic trail experience featuring old cabins that provide a glimpse into the area's history. The route is also surrounded by fantastic landscapes. Combined with Medicine Lodge Road and Bannack Pass in Idaho and Medicine Lodge Road and Bannack Bench Road in Montana, this trail forms part of a 100-mile stretch of dirt road. This alternative route offers a quieter and remote path between Bannack and Dubois, avoiding the busy interstate. Additionally, these trails provide numerous opportunities to extend your adventure further into the remote backcountry.

Running from Lionhead Road to West Fork Denny Creek, Denny Lionhead Road is an easy, winding, packed-dirt road providing a short but wonderful drive through the Gallatin National Forest. No obstacles exist, but ruts and washouts may occur with the passing afternoon thunderstorms. There are no campsites on this trail.

South Bench is located in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, the largest of the national forests in Montana, covering 3.35 million acres. This trail is less than an hour's drive from Ennis or West Yellowstone and just under 2 hours from Big Sky Montana. The road is a little overgrown, with only glimpses of the towering mountains in the distance and a very secluded campsite at the trail's end. Tall green grass covers the ground with wildflowers and butterflies through August. A flat half-mile hike from Waypoint 2 is a cliff overlooking Hidden, Goose, and Otter Lakes. South Bench trail is for anyone looking for a secluded campsite surrounded by tall, dense trees, offering an excellent windbreak as the wind in the trees whispers everyone to sleep.

Discover Cliff Lake, a hidden gem that has captivated visitors in recent years. Enjoy its crystal-clear, spring-fed waters, offering mesmerizing views of the vibrant green and white hues created by the unique soils and sediments below. The campground features a few exclusive spaces, offering an unparalleled camping experience in the area. With a convenient boat ramp, you can explore the expansive 3.5-mile-long lake, indulging in incredible fishing opportunities. Please note that starting this year, day-use fees will be implemented, so remember to bring cash for the iron ranger and relish the chance to enjoy this once-hidden treasure.

A short trail, Targhee Creek is a bumpy half-mile dirt road dead-ending at the Lionhead hiking trail. This also provides access to the Continental Divide Trail.

There is a short hill climb, but 2WD high clearance vehicles should be fine in completing the trail. While no campsites are on this trail, there is endless camping in the nearby Gallatin and Targhee National Forests.

If you are traveling in the northern part of Montana and want to stick with dirt instead of pavement to connect the Kalispell area to Glacier National Park, look no further than Grave Creek/Trail Creek. This easy trail is suitable for just about any vehicle with good tires. There are a few camping opportunities along the way, most notably the Tuchuck Campground, if you plan on spending the night out here. Hiking opportunities are also plentiful, including access to some of the old fire towers (Stahl and Thoma lookouts) that once observed the area for wildfires. This would make an excellent overland route connecting this trail with North Fork Road and the surrounding spur roads.

From the entrance just outside the town of Superior, Montana, Road 320, also known as Cedar Creek Road at this point, begins as a well-maintained gravel road. It gradually climbs through a steep-walled valley rich in mining history. Several interpretive signs along this first section mark points of interest and offer historical tidbits about the gold rush that took place in the area during the 1800s.

Road 320 is an easy, scenic, trailer-friendly drive up to the Missoula Lake Campground, where you will find fire rings and designated sites. The conditions get rougher and rockier immediately after this turnout. Trailers and low-clearance vehicles, proceed at your own risk!

Upon passing the parking area for the Stateline National Recreation Trail, the rough terrain gets even more aggressive as you cross over into Idaho and begin descending toward the shadowy St. Joe River. At this point, the road changes names to Red Ives Creek,

*Warning* The section of 320 between the Trail 49 Trailhead and Road 715 is extremely tight with winter blowdown that has been cleared, but with barely enough space to allow a full-sized vehicle to pass through. Spatial awareness and line choice will be crucial in order to avoid potential body damage from root balls and tree trunks.

Road 320 offers everything from shady, lush riversides in the lower elevations, to alpine meadows speckled with fireweed, beargrass, and huckleberry bushes.

There are two official campgrounds on this road. Missoula Lake Campground on the Montana side and Heller Creek Campground on the Idaho side, with just over 9 miles of travel between the two. There are also several trailheads along this route with opportunities for dispersed camping.