Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Clinton, Montana

Verdy Moccasin Ridge

This moderate shelf road leads from the valley below near Connor and heads up into the Sapphire Mountains. The beginning is a shelf road with a steep dropoff with tight turns, loose rocky switchbacks, and…
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Total Miles
10.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

West Fork Schwartz Creek

This is not the super smooth, easy way into the Sapphire Mountain Range. This trail is rocky, with a few tight corners and a steep climb. There are a few spots with a nice view,…
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Total Miles
3.9
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Schwartz Creek

This dirt road into the Saphire Mountains is THE smoothest and most effortless way up the mountain range. The grade isn't steep. The potholes are few. The only drawback is that there are few pullouts…
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Total Miles
5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

West Holloman Schwartz

This rim road cruises along the top of the hills and has epic views around almost every corner as it twists and turns its way to the Holoman Saddle. There are a few different decent-sized…
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Total Miles
4.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Middle Fork Schwartz

This ridge road blasts across the top of the ridge over the Yukon Saddle. It has long straight always with epic views, a dense forest section, an old burned-out section that's regrowing well, and a…
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Total Miles
5.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su

West Greenough

This easy out and back passes by a great shooting range spot carved into the hillside about 1/3 of the way along the trail. There are tight turns and muddy puddles from all the little…
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Total Miles
4.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Miller Peak

This peak tower access road starts with some loose rocky, rutted, steep, and longer duration climbs. There are also a few rainwater diverting hills. Once those are out of the way, the trail is relatively…
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Total Miles
4.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

East Twin Creek Road

Great back road accessible by almost any car and SUV Road ID# 2117. First, turn off to the left off of Gold Creek Rd is East Twin Creek Road. The road has some blind corners…
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Total Miles
10.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Sluice Creek

This is a rocky twisty ridge road. It's open seasonally with a gate near the first bottom switchback. The trail has fantastic views of the Bitterroot Valley and Sapphire range. The trail is loose and…
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Total Miles
10
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

8 Mile

This narrow, easy climb heads from the Bitterroot valley into the sapphire mountains. It begins in a residential area and then hits loose, steep switchbacks to begin the ascent. The trail gets relatively narrow in…
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Total Miles
13.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Rock Creek

This dirt road follows Rock Creek and connects I-90 near Clinton, MT, to Highway 1, leading to Philipsburg. This area is busy with anglers and rafters in the Spring, Summer, and Fall but experiences less…
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Total Miles
28.3
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Larch Camp Road

Larch Camp Road is Located in a part of The Lolo National Forest in the South Hills of Missoula, Montana. It is a scenic backcountry road just a few miles from town. Great hiking in…
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Total Miles
1.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Upper Skyline to Cinnabar Saddle

This easy ridge road has impressive views of the Bitterroot Valley as it twists its way in and out of the trees. Previous tree clearing makes for a nice open ride. There are a few…
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Total Miles
5.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Skyline

This scenic, narrow trail twists its way through the trees. There are a few pullouts here and there to pass oncoming traffic and lots of evidence of tree cutting. Be prepared to clear trees if…
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Total Miles
4.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Ambrose Trail

A wide well-grated dirt trail that begins at the base of the Sapphire Mountain range and gains elevation up into the mountains. It is a great trail to access other trails including the Sawmill Ridge…
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Total Miles
7.4
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Middle Ambrose

This trail spurs off from the South Ambrose Trail. It starts out easy with some fun turns and a few dispersed camping spots. As one continues, one will encounter some deeper puddles and washouts. About…
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Total Miles
3.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp / Su

Sawmill Ridge Run

This dirt trail connects up Sawmill Saddle and Ambrose, running across the top of some of the mountains in the Sapphire range. It is a fun twisty trail with lots of tall trees. It opens…
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Total Miles
12.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Clairmont

This out and back starts with decent-sized potholes and dense trees and then opens up to amazing cliffsides with epic views. There are hardly any places to pass oncoming, and no camping spots were noticed…
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Total Miles
5.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

South Ambrose

This fun little out and back deviates from the main trail into the hills. There are lots of twists and turns, dips and dives. It's generally narrow with a few mild rutted sections. Once you…
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Total Miles
3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Garnet Ghost Town

This very potholed and deeply washboard trail leads from the beginning of the dirt section to Montana's best-preserved Ghost Town, Garnet. This site features some of the best-kept historical buildings of its kind. The trail…
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Total Miles
6.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

High Road

The name says it all this road runs up to one of the higher ones in the area. There are incredible vistas and decent dispersed camping spots--a few offshoot trails and a narrow section closer…
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Total Miles
3.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Sawmill Saddle

Easy graded forest road with plenty of switchbacks and a few loose gravel sections. It's a nice trail with some views of the valley as you head into the mountains. The lower part of the…
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Total Miles
9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa / Sp

First Chance Gulch To Bear Gulch

This is a great connector trail with amazing views of the canyons below. It connects the well-preserved Garnet Ghost Town to Bear Town. There are plenty of switchbacks and a creek running alongside the whole…
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Total Miles
4.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

McClain Creek Road (FS 1311)

McClain Creek Road is also known as Forest Service Road 1311 and goes from the Bitterroot Valley to Carlton Lake but is gated at the 5-mile mark. The road passes through the former McClay Ranch…
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Total Miles
3.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Gold Creek Trail

Easy dirt trail safe for most 4WD and 2WD vehicles all the way to the Gold Creek Campground. The trail continues past the Gold Creek campground but turns into 4WD high clearance only. The trail…
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Total Miles
6.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Upper Cave Gulch Road

This narrow, short upper section leads into the hills to pass right by the well-preserved Garnet Ghost Town. It runs along a ridgeline with exceptional views of the valley below. It passes through a dense…
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Total Miles
2.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp / Su

Blue Mountain

Be sure to start your day with a round of frisbee golf at the Blue Mountain Disc Golf Course before continuing up Blue Mountain to find incredible vistas of the Missoula valley. The road is…
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Total Miles
12.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su

Eastern Garnet Range Road

This easy section twists and turns through the hills and offers a lot of offshoots that have been blocked off with gates and a few pullouts with evidence of camping. If that is your jam,…
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Total Miles
4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Summit Cabin Road

This narrow road cuts through a section of burned forest and passes through many private parcels. Please be respectful of their land and stick to the trail. On the map, there is one dispersed camping…
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Total Miles
2.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Jocko Road

Travel this easy section through the Jocko Canyon along the stunning Jocko River. Other sights along this route include the pristine Jocko Lakes and Placid Lake.
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Total Miles
30
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa