Montana Mountain

So I've been on this trail at least once a year since 2013. My weapon of choice has been a 2013 Can Am Maverick and 2019 Can Am X3. In 2013 I would have driven my 4Runner on this trail start to finish without a second thought, not so much now. Excessive use by yes, SXS's and other offroaders has torn up sections of the trail, primarily at the Top and the Switchbacks on the East side. On last Marchs ride it was quite a busy trail, with Jeeps, Trucks, and SxS some headed west to east and others east to west. Problem is there are several narrow sections that two vehicles cannot pass, which means somebody is backing up......a long way. Another section on the West side towards the top used to be an uphill Mogul , now an uphill Cratered path that created a traffic jam of a group of Truckers trying to navigate the holes and our group of sxs slowly making our way past them. Two weeks before that, a traffic jam caused by a Family in an Expedition who couldn't make it up that icy hill that the sun never shines on, you know the one. So I'll make the Montana Mountain trek next Fall when the temps fall and look forward to another challenging ride. As far as a Trail Rating, depends on what your weapon of choice will be.

This is a very scenic trail, and with the recent spring rains, the wildflowers were out in full bloom, making for some amazing views. We ran this clockwise on a Saturday. Despite some concerns about traffic on a weekend, it wasn't too bad at all and everyone was sharing the road. As far as the trail itself, I would say this is more scenic that technical. I would rate it as a 2 until you hit FR 650, where it becomes a 3 in my view. The washouts and ruts weren't bad at all, especially considering our recent rains. The switchbacks were in good shape and easy to navigate. This is worth running for the views!

Ran this yesterday for the first time in a stock 5th gen 4Runner ORP. With spotting from some buddies in lifted Tacos, I made it through. Touched the skids more than a few times and used the locker to recover from a sub optimal line once. Current rating of 4 is definitely accurate and my buddies reported this trail has dramatically increased in difficulty since a few years ago. There are some very deep eroded areas so those at stock height should use caution. Incredibly scenic. Plenty of traffic but it was not oppressive. Definitely worthwhile. With time to air up and down, photos, and snacks we were on the trail about 6 hours.

If you are looking for a good all day adventure, Montana Mountain will not disappoint. From the views of the canyon by Elephant Arch to winding up several thousand feet along the shelf road, you will be treated to continuous scenery and opportunities to capture pictures and video. Once on the north side of the mountain, you will run along another shelf road that borders the Superstition Wilderness. Dropping back down the mountain on the switchbacks will keep you wanting to come back for another run. The trail conditions, especially on the switchbacks and the Southeastern section where you cross over the big wash are in much better condition (May 2022) compared to October of 2021 where there was substantial wash outs. Have fun and take time at the top to soak it all in.

Still a beautiful drive.

What a treat. Phoenix residents are lucky to have such a beautiful route right in their backyard. From the desert floor up and over the 5,000 ft mountain you experience a bit of everything.

I have updated the gpx track to reflect the current staging areas at both ends of the route. The trail has also become more difficult. There are bigger rock ledges and deeper washouts. A very scenic drive with some mild challenges along the way.

Ran MM on Saturday. It was a high traffic day in the trail. I remember when you could run it and hardly see anyone. Anyways, great trail, good time, no surprises on the trail.

Fun trail, excellent views, probably harder than a 2... yeah definitely a 3 maybe 4 in parts. I was solo and started on the west going east as this route shows... I seemed to be the only one that got that memo? Mostly 4-wheelers and side-by-sides coming down but handful of 4runners and few jeeps. Everything up to nearish waypoint 5 was easy peasy; there was one point up there I had to hit 4L to get over some tall rock faces; probably could have managed in 4H but it was the only point on this trail where I had to reverse to choose a different line. Started to get tighter after that too and harder to find passing points; lucking I was running later in the day and I was out there all alone. The switchbacks after 7 were VERY rutted out; I had to get careful with tire placement often and a couple areas had pretty bad wash out on the cliff-side of the trail... to the point where I had to hard hug the face and crawl up it a bit to not get my tire in a hole to nowhere. After waypoint 8 when you hit the wash / river I was kinda movin fast; 20-30mph in parts (obvious slowing for dips/ruts) but I was racing sunset and had to boogie. But that's kinda what the Bronco is built for :) One other thing to mention.. the GPS coords and path here don't show the accurate end-point where the OHV Staging area is... this map takes you past that point where there's a private gate and no entrance to HWY 60. GPS Coords for the OHV Staging lot are @ 33.2844699, -111.1662584. Rig: stock '21 Badlands Bronco 4dr

What a fun trail. Recent rains left lots of mud and large puddles and running washes! The rains made for a lot of rutted out areas, and some fun obstacles. It’s not a groomed forest road! Can’t wait to go back and camp along the way.

Awesome trail, definitely been washed out in quite a few places on the switchbacks. But still doable with correct tire placement and a spotter.

Started on the West side at Queen Valley Rd. This is better than starting on the East side because you will be going down hill on the East side tight switchbacks. The first 12-13 miles were fairly easy but than after the Rogers Trough TH the trail became deep rutted and much more challenging. About 6 miles from the end, there is a wash with a very steep short uphill. Had to shift to 4 Low in my Rubicon to get over the incline. Rest of the trail to US60 was fairly easy

The trail is open and is more moderate than easy, I would agree with the 3/3 suggestion. There are some easy sections but they are outnumbered by the moderate parts, which is not a bad thing. Climbing to the top the trail is washed out and rutted in multiple places past the Rogers Trailhead turn. There are few obstacles that require careful tire placement and slow going. I'd recommend having a lifted rig, skid plates and at least 33" tires. Coming down the switchbacks are pretty chewed up, rutted and there are several washouts along the way. I do not recommend going alone. Overall this trail was a fun run and I would run it again.

Very beautiful trail. It starts as a 2, but around waypoint 4, maybe a little higher, it matches the backside’s 4/4.

Ran the trail today. Was a ton of fun. We last ran it back in March of this year. After today's run, I would put this trail, based upon today's conditions, more of a 3/3 than a 2/2. The trail is pretty rutted in places and there are a couple new obstacles that have developed. One that took me up on 3 wheels in our truck (I chose the more difficult of the two lines). The switchbacks are a bit more challenging than we remember. Mostly because they are fairly rutted. There is no question that this is one of our favorites here in AZ, even more now since there are a couple new challenges.

I’m new to off-roading but not to trails. I made it about halfway before turning around to avoid rain. There was some stuff that might be intimidating to a newbie, including an off-camber switchback with a rock wall on the outside, a chunky rock in the middle, and an embankment on the inside. I was in a Tacoma with a 2” lift and 33” tires. About the rain, that’s definitely the biggest concern. There are a lot of washes and a lot of low points that obviously get flooded. Keep an eye on the weather.

Arizona National Forests and State Lands are back open for travel. There are still some very important fire restrictions in place. These restrictions can often change by specific areas.

Tonto National Forest officials will close the state’s largest national forest due to ongoing extreme fire danger beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 25. The forest is implementing this forest closure as a precaution to protect the health and safety of the public, employees and firefighters by reducing the risk of human-caused fires. No one is allowed in the closure area, including Forest Service personnel, unless they are responding to a wildfire or other emergency or patrolling to ensure enforcement of the closure. The order shall remain in effect until July 31, 2021 or until rescinded, whichever occurs first. Residents or businesses using roads in the restricted area to the extent necessary to access their private property are exempt.

Three of us went up the west side of Montana Mountain and followed FR172 toward the Woodbury Trailhead to the Millsite Canyon Trail heading south (down). The least capable Jeep was a Rubicon 4 door, no lift, stock tires, skid plates (fortunately). The other two Jeeps were lifted and larger tires. First obstacle is the slide area with a bypass into a wash. Not easy to get into the wash or to get out. Required winching the Rubicon off the top of the bank to get it out. Several other lesser obstacles on the way down and a lot of brush. Did not use lockers. Broke a valve stem and had to change a tire. Going down this trail is a strong 3 of 5. Wives were not happy but fortunately brought wine with them. Left the canyon as the sun was setting.

Truly awesome views and the description on this site is spot on!!!

The Sawtooth Fire has resulted in a temporary closure to this trail. I have attached a link to the Incident Site where you can find out more details about the current conditions. https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6730/

Trail in good shape overall. A few sections had a bit of rutting but nothing any stock 4x4 couldn’t easily handle. Many great views along the trail. A bit of burned area in the northern section of the road.

Human-caused wildfire in the area. https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/maps/6382/ Be safe hotshots and sorry we have irresponsible people in AZ and elsewhere.

I am not sure I ran this the way that it is listed here but... this area is incredible to explore none the less. HIGHLY, HIGHLY Recommend. I was part of a group that consisted of 7 rigs- 2 Toyotas (4 runner and older Land Cruiser), and 5 Jeeps (1lifted XJ, 3 lifted JKs and 1 "stock" Willys JK). I highly recommend getting out to this area. It is gorgeous. We were blessed with a cloudy- chilly day, but the views as you navigate this trail are incredible. Our group stopped multiple times to just take in the views and shoot the s word. Our trip was muddy due to the recent rain but I think it made it much better- no dust. When we went, there was very little amounts of traffic and we heard faint sounds of people shooting recreationally. This is an easy trail that most rigs can conquer. Have a blast out there! Follow me on Instagram: @zonajeepin If you are ever interested in running trails together!

The weather was cool enough to get back out in the desert. A group of us from Meetup.com met to run Millsite Canyon and this loop. It truly was a great day on the trail. The video is of our weekend running three of my favorite trails in the area. Millsite Canyon, Montana Mountain and Hackberry.

A great time of year to visit this trail. All of the wildflowers are in full bloom. This won't last for long. The trail conditions were good. A few sections may have been a bit rougher than my last visit but nothing worth noting as a specific waypoint. The construction at the end of the trail at the air up spot has been completed! There is now a nice large parking area there. As usual proceed with caution on the first part of this trail if you are entering from the west. This is a high traffic area for OHV traffic and people using side pullouts as shooting areas. Including some where signs say it is prohibited. That only lasts for the first 10-15 minutes of the trail.

A great day on the trail taking 4 new folks to the Montana Mountain Loop. If you are looking for cactus, elevation, and long distance views the Montana Mountain trail is for you. The weather was great. We took advantage of one of the last cool weekends before the summer heat returns to the valley. Trail conditions were great. Both of my trips took about 5 hours. It really depends on how much stopping you do for photo opportunities and if you have lunch along the way. A portion of the loop is on the Arizona Trail, http://www.aztrail.org/. This is a trail that runs from the Mexico Border to Utah. We were lucky enough to come across two hikers who were hiking the trail. A member of our party handed them a well deserved beer. Hopefully a future report will include a snow run along this route. With a peak elevation of around 5500ft this is always a possibility in winter.