Goat Ridge
Goat Ridge Trail is a 7.1 miles trail in Kootenai National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and snowmobile. It enters Cabinet Mountains Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Kootenai National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 47.9608, -115.6774 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 47.9936, -115.5992 · 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 is recorded as 8 segments.
The trail
| Length | 7.1 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| Special management area | IRA - INVENTORIED ROADLESS AREA |
| Trail numbers | 921 |
| Forest | Kootenai National Forest (unit 0114) |
| 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 01/01 to 12/31 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
| Mountain biking | Allowed 01/01 to 12/31 (month/day) |
| Snowmobile | Allowed 12/01 to 04/30 (month/day) |
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.
Wilderness
- Cabinet Mountains Wilderness WildernessFS · about 3% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
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. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Camping nearby
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRx D5 Tree Farm Piles
46 mi from the trail midpoint · 90 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 Goat Ridge Trail?
7.1 miles, the sum of the 8 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Kootenai National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Goat Ridge Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and snowmobile. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Goat Ridge Trail start?
The line begins at 47.9608, -115.6774 and ends at 47.9936, -115.5992. 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 Goat Ridge Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Goat Ridge Trail?
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
How developed is the Goat 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 Goat Ridge Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Goat Ridge Trail accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Goat Ridge Trail?
Kootenai National Forest, Forest Service unit 0114. The trail is in Montana.
Is there a fire near the Goat Ridge Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Rx D5 Tree Farm Piles at 46 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 8 segments named GOAT RIDGE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0114. 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.