Montana · Mountain biking · Near Emigrant

Lake of the Pines Trail

4.8 mi
round trip
2,981 ft
climb
Singletrack
surface
Out and back
route
Jul–Sep
best months

Caution today

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 12 min ago

Is Lake of the Pines Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Bozeman Ranger District. It doesn't name Lake of the Pines Trail, so check the source for the area it covers (16 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Bozeman Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Lake of the Pines Trail is a mountain biking route in the Bozeman Ranger District of Custer Gallatin National Forest in Montana, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is an out-and-back that starts and ends at about 7,614 feet, with a high point of 7,615 feet and a low of 6,365 feet along the way. The total climb is 2,981 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 4.1 miles in, with a grade of 16 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Big Sky put July highs around 78°F with lows near 41°F, and the station sits about 1,000 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures up top run cooler. Pine Tree Road and Orchid Gulch Trail both lie about 0.8 miles away, and Pioneer Lakes is about 0.9 miles off. For an overnight stay, Swan Creek campground is about 2.3 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Fr3108-12

    Campground

    Campground · 0.9 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Blacksmith Italian

    Restaurant

    Open after 6

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Emigrant
  • Best time to go · Jul–Sep

    Best time to visit Lake of the Pines Trail

    Best months: 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

      30° / 9°

      13 wet

    2. Feb

      34° / 9°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 17°

      12 wet

    4. Apr

      48° / 23°

      11 wet

    5. May

      58° / 30°

      14 wet

    6. Jun

      67° / 36°

      14 wet

    7. Jul

      78° / 41°

      11 wet

    8. Aug

      77° / 39°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 33°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      53° / 25°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      37° / 16°

      11 wet

    12. Dec

      27° / 9°

      14 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Big Sky 2wnw, MT, 12.5 mi away at 6,590 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors