Montana · Mountain biking · Near Emigrant

Pioneer Lakes Trail

1.9 mi
round trip
702 ft
climb
Singletrack
surface
Out and back
route
Jul–Sep
best months

Is Pioneer Lakes Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Bozeman Ranger District. It doesn't name Pioneer Lakes 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.

Pioneer Lakes Trail is a mountain biking route in the Bozeman Ranger District of Montana's Custer Gallatin National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is about 2 miles long and rated easy, with a total climb of 702 feet and a round trip of about 4 miles. The route starts at roughly 7,540 feet and climbs to about 7,790 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 1.6 miles in. Summer is the most comfortable time to ride. Typical July averages from a nearby weather station run around 78°F for highs and 41°F for lows, and temperatures on the trail run cooler than that. Winters are cold, with January highs typically near 30°F. Garnet Mountain, a hike, sits about 0.2 miles away, and the Rat Lake Trail is about 0.4 miles off. The Garnet Mountain Fire Lookout campground is about 0.7 miles away. The Gallatin River offers fishing roughly 1.4 miles from the trail.

Around this trail

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

    Garnet Mountain Fire Lookout

    Campground

    Sites open the weekend of Dec 25 on Recreation.gov

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

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

    Best time to visit Pioneer Lakes 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, 11.3 mi away at 6,590 ft. The station sits about 1,200 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