First Yellow Mule
First Yellow Mule Trail is a 7 miles trail in Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3 to 5, developed to fully developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.
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 | 45.2230, -111.3504 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 45.1756, -111.3922 · 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 46 segments.
The trail
| Length | 7 miles, of which 0.6 miles evaluated accessible |
| Trail class | 3, developed; 5, fully developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | imported compacted material, native material |
| Typical grade | 5-8 percent, 8-10 percent, 10-12 percent, 0-5 percent, 20-30 percent |
| Typical tread width | 48-60 inches, 18-24 inches, 36-48 inches, 96-120 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | At least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 162 |
| 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.
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
- PrescribedLonesome Wood Rx Unit 31B
35 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.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the First Yellow Mule Trail?
7 miles, the sum of the 46 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Custer Gallatin National Forest. 0.6 miles of that are evaluated as accessible.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the First Yellow Mule 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 First Yellow Mule Trail start?
The line begins at 45.2230, -111.3504 and ends at 45.1756, -111.3922. 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 First Yellow Mule 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 First Yellow Mule Trail?
Yellow Mule Cabin (1.3 mi) is within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the First Yellow Mule Trail?
Trail class 3 to 5, which the Forest Service describes as developed to fully 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 First Yellow Mule Trail?
The typical grade is 5-8 percent on most segments and 8-10 percent or 10-12 percent or 0-5 percent or 20-30 percent on others. The typical tread is 48-60 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the First Yellow Mule Trail accessible?
The Forest Service has evaluated 0.6 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is imported compacted material and native material.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the First Yellow Mule Trail?
Custer Gallatin National Forest, Forest Service unit 0111. The trail is in Montana.
Is there a fire near the First Yellow Mule Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Lonesome Wood Rx Unit 31B at 35 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 46 segments named FIRST YELLOW MULE 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.