Dead Horse Divide
Dead Horse Divide Trail is a 5.4 miles trail in Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, atv, 4wd over 50 inches, e-bikes, snowmobile, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowcoach or snowcat, motorized watercraft and non-motorized watercraft.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Custer Gallatin 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 end | 45.6596, -104.2496 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 45.6904, -104.2439 · 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
| Length | 5.4 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 0-5 percent |
| Motor vehicles | Open to at least one motorized use |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 3058A |
| Forest | Custer Gallatin National Forest (unit 0111) |
| States | Montana |
| Detail published | management 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
| Hiking | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| Mountain biking | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| Motorcycle | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| ATV | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| 4WD over 50 inches | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| E-bikes | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| Snowmobile | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| Snowshoeing | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| Cross-country skiing | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| Snowcoach or snowcat | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| Motorized watercraft | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (month/day) |
| Non-motorized watercraft | Allowed 12/01 to 10/14 (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
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.
Fire nearby
- WildfireGilbert
31 mi from the trail midpoint · 211 acres
- WildfireEspy
50 mi from the trail midpoint · 40 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Dead Horse Divide Trail?
5.4 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Custer Gallatin National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Dead Horse Divide Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, atv, 4wd over 50 inches, e-bikes, snowmobile, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowcoach or snowcat, motorized watercraft and non-motorized watercraft. 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 Dead Horse Divide Trail start?
The line begins at 45.6596, -104.2496 and ends at 45.6904, -104.2439. 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 Dead Horse 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 Dead Horse Divide Trail?
Lantis Spring Campground (4 mi) is within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Dead Horse Divide 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 Dead Horse Divide Trail?
The typical grade is 0-5 percent.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Dead Horse Divide Trail?
Custer Gallatin National Forest, Forest Service unit 0111. The trail is in Montana.
Is there a fire near the Dead Horse Divide Trail?
2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Gilbert at 31 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named DEAD HORSE DIVIDE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0111. 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.