Cave Ridge
Cave Ridge Trail is a 9 miles trail in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and e-bikes.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The forest office carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 46.6658, -111.6933 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 46.7177, -111.6524 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 9 miles, of which 9 miles evaluated accessible |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical tread width | 48-60 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | At least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 243 |
| Forest | Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest (unit 0115) |
| States | Montana |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
| E-bikes | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedBear Gulch Rx
21 mi from the trail midpoint · 300 acres
- PrescribedJohnny Bonanza Rx
32 mi from the trail midpoint · 42 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Cave Ridge Trail?
9 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. 9 miles of that are evaluated as accessible.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Cave Ridge Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and e-bikes. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Cave Ridge Trail start?
The line begins at 46.6658, -111.6933 and ends at 46.7177, -111.6524. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Cave Ridge Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Cave Ridge Trail?
Court Sheriff Campground (0.9 mi), Chinamen's Campground (1 mi) and Cave Point Group Use Area (1.3 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Cave Ridge Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Cave Ridge Trail?
The typical tread is 48-60 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Cave Ridge Trail accessible?
The Forest Service has evaluated 9 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is native material.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Cave Ridge Trail?
Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Forest Service unit 0115. The trail is in Montana.
Is there a fire near the Cave Ridge Trail?
2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Bear Gulch Rx at 21 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named CAVE RIDGE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0115. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.