Montana · Trail 309

Parker Ridge

Parker Ridge Trail is a 5.7 miles trail in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

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 end47.0438, -111.1961 · Directions ↗
Other end47.0796, -111.2748 · 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

Length5.7 miles
Trail class2, moderately developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityEvaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers309
ForestHelena-Lewis and Clark National Forest (unit 0115)
StatesMontana
Detail publishedmanagement 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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Parker Ridge Trail20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.03 inches of precipitation, 23.2 inches of snowFebruary: 1.11 inches of precipitation, 24.4 inches of snowMarch: 1.14 inches of precipitation, 22.6 inches of snowApril: 2.11 inches of precipitation, 22.2 inches of snowMay: 2.58 inches of precipitation, 3.4 inches of snowJune: 3.61 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowJuly: 1.92 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.44 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.36 inches of precipitation, 0.9 inches of snowOctober: 1.59 inches of precipitation, 7.2 inches of snowNovember: 0.91 inches of precipitation, 20.3 inches of snowDecember: 0.82 inches of precipitation, 23.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 22.3°F averageFebruary: 23.4°F averageMarch: 31.9°F averageApril: 39.0°F averageMay: 47.6°F averageJune: 55.5°F averageJuly: 63.3°F averageAugust: 62.2°F averageSeptember: 53.3°F averageOctober: 41.3°F averageNovember: 29.8°F averageDecember: 21.7°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 in25 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Millegan 14 SE, 14 miles from the trail midpoint at 4,970 feet, station USC00245712 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 149 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed 05/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
Mountain bikingAllowed 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

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.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Parker Ridge Trail?

5.7 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Parker Ridge Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. 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 Parker Ridge Trail start?

The line begins at 47.0438, -111.1961 and ends at 47.0796, -111.2748. 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 Parker 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 Parker 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.

Source: Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

How developed is the Parker Ridge Trail?

Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately 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 Parker Ridge Trail?

The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Parker 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 Parker Ridge Trail?

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Forest Service unit 0115. The trail is in Montana.

Source: Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named PARKER 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.