Montana · Mountain biking · Clearwater Canoe Trail

Roller Coaster

1.6 mi
distance
207 ft
climb
May, Jul–Sep
best months

Is Roller Coaster open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists an alert for Lolo National Forest.

  • East Fork Big Creek Road & Trail Closure- Superior Ranger District

    Agency alert covering Lolo National Forest · Order 26-003- · USFS · Lolo National Forest

As of · Source: USFS · Lolo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Roller Coaster is a mountain biking route in the Seeley Lake Ranger District of Lolo National Forest in western Montana, about 1.6 miles long and rising from a low point of 4,080 feet to a high of 4,255 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route sits in the low foothills of the area, close to Seeley Lake. The climb is short but has a steep start, with the steepest grade of 12% at about 0.2 miles from the beginning. The route is easy to fold into a longer ride, as several other Clearwater Canoe Trail segments lie within about a third of a mile, including the Roller Coaster Cutoff and Tamaracks Trail B. Summer is the most comfortable time to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Seeley Lake show July and August highs around 83°F with lows in the low 40s, and fewer wet days than any other months of the year. Big Larch Campground Complex is less than a mile away, and Seeley Lake Campground Complex is about 1.3 miles off. Paddlers can reach the Clearwater River, about 8 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May, Jul–Sep

    Best time to visit Roller Coaster

    Best months: May and July–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      32° / 12°

      15 wet

    2. Feb

      37° / 13°

      12 wet

    3. Mar

      45° / 20°

      12 wet

    4. Apr

      54° / 27°

      11 wet

    5. May

      65° / 34°

      12 wet

    6. Jun

      72° / 41°

      13 wet

    7. Jul

      83° / 44°

      8 wet

    8. Aug

      83° / 43°

      7 wet

    9. Sep

      73° / 36°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      56° / 29°

      11 wet

    11. Nov

      40° / 21°

      14 wet

    12. Dec

      31° / 13°

      16 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Seeley Lake Rs, MT, 1.7 mi away at 4,100 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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