Eldridge
Eldridge Trail is a 8.6 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 and mountain biking. It enters Lee Metcalf Wilderness.
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 | 45.0711, -111.3075 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 44.9775, -111.3578 · 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 7 segments.
The trail
| Length | 8.6 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 172 |
| 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 year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
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.
Wilderness
- Lee Metcalf Wilderness WildernessFS · about 16% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
No season published · listed none | 0 mi |
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
- PrescribedLonesome Wood Rx Unit 31B
23 mi from the trail midpoint
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 Eldridge Trail?
8.6 miles, the sum of the 7 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Custer Gallatin National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Eldridge Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Eldridge Trail start?
The line begins at 45.0711, -111.3075 and ends at 44.9775, -111.3578. The nearest recorded trailhead is Eldridge Trailhead, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Eldridge Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Lee Metcalf Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Eldridge Trail?
Eldridge Guard Station (0.2 mi), Wapiti Cabin (1.6 mi) and Beaver Creek Cabin (4.3 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Eldridge 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 Eldridge Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Eldridge Trail?
Custer Gallatin National Forest, Forest Service unit 0111. The trail is in Montana.
Is there a fire near the Eldridge Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Lonesome Wood Rx Unit 31B at 23 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 7 segments named ELDRIDGE 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.