Kootenai National Forest · Montana · Trail 420

Canyon Divide

Canyon Divide Trail is a 9.8 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, motorcycle, e-bikes and snowmobile.

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 end48.3883, -115.1408 · Directions ↗
Other end48.4479, -115.0804 · 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 5 segments.

The trail

Length9.8 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width12-18 inches
Motor vehiclesOpen to at least one motorized use
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers420
ForestKootenai National Forest (unit 0114)
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.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 05/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed 05/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round
MotorcycleAllowed 01/01 to 12/31 (month/day)
E-bikesAllowed year-round
SnowmobileAllowed 01/01 to 12/31 (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.

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.

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.

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.

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Canyon Divide Trail?

9.8 miles, the sum of the 5 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Kootenai National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Canyon Divide Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, e-bikes and snowmobile. The trail is open to at least one motorized use. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Canyon Divide Trail start?

The line begins at 48.3883, -115.1408 and ends at 48.4479, -115.0804. 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 Canyon Divide 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 Canyon Divide 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: Kootenai National Forest official page

How developed is the Canyon Divide 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 Canyon Divide Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 12-18 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Canyon Divide Trail?

Kootenai National Forest, Forest Service unit 0114. The trail is in Montana.

Source: Kootenai National Forest official page

Source

This page is built from 5 segments named CANYON DIVIDE 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.