Wild Bill The Coffin and the Playground

Trail Overview

This is the most popular section of the Wild Bill OHV trail network, with some of the most famous crawls of the state. The easternmost challenge heading out from the playground is "Rock Obstacle. It's labeled on the map at 4 feet but has less challenging severity to either side. There's an easy bypass and plenty of large holes to play in leading to and from the obstacle itself. From there, one continues through a choose-your-own-adventure network of trails as they head toward the "Coffin" obstacle. This deep man-made pit is made out of large concrete barricades that have been buried and the pit has steep walls waiting to trap even a well-built rig. Don't worry; there is a bypass to get around it if you're not up to the challenge. Continuing on down the grade from here, one will encounter silt in summertime and mud in the wet season up to the Northbridge Junction. Head down the hill toward "Good Obstacle." This is a steeper section of the trail. Again, there are plenty of offshoots along the way, offering challenges ranging from 6-9 depending on how one approaches them. Spotters and well-built crawler rigs may be necessary. The Good Obstacle has a steep off-camber loose climb or descent on the inside of the corner, a deep whoop route to the outside, and an easy route up the middle. The trail descends down the hillside to the main staging area below. There are a few off-camber sections. And a few more opportunities to test your skills along the sides of the trail. All in all, it's a great section of the Wild Bill network with many of the famous and fun obstacles it's known for. The playground at the eastern end offers all kinds of extreme fun, from massive truck tires to concrete shelves and huge log jambs. The western end is a nice staging area with easy access from town and a pit toilet with an informational kiosk. There are two bars of T-Mobile 5G at the playground. There are none at the staging area and no Verizon cell service at all.

Photos of Wild Bill The Coffin and the Playground

Want to see more?

Login

Difficulty

The main route of this trail is narrow with pullouts for oncoming traffic. Some dips, deep ruts, and off-camber sections in the main trail cannot be avoided. The OHV area has lots of manmade obstacles that are rated 5-7, but the main trail bypasses all of these so vehicles can pick and choose the amount of challenge they want. Some articulations may be impassable when wet or snowy. The trail system is open in wintertime but deep snow makes the trail much more challenging. There is no winter maintenance. The summer and fall months can be dry, so expect dusty trail conditions.

History

The Blacktail Wild Bill OHV trail was designated a National OHV trail in 1979. Over the years, two local clubs (Skyliners and Big Sky 4 Wheelers) have maintained the trail and built challenging features. The clubs have work weekends where they clean trash and do maintenance on the trail. In 2018 and 2019, Big Sky 4 Wheelers worked with the Forest Service to build and install kiosks on the trail to identify trail routes.

Technical Rating