Lolo National Forest · Montana · Trail 242

Iron Mountain

Iron Mountain Trail is a 6.8 miles trail in Lolo National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Lolo 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 end47.3053, -114.8249 · Directions ↗
Other end47.2757, -114.8214 · 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 2 segments.

The trail

Length6.8 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
National designationNational Recreation Trail or other national designation
Trail numbers242
ForestLolo National Forest (unit 0116)
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 06/01 to 10/31 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed 06/01 to 10/31 (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

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

  • Prescribed
    Rx D5 Tree Farm Piles

    15 mi from the trail midpoint · 90 acres

  • Prescribed
    Bison Range Br2F Rx

    27 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Wildfire
    Moose Mountain

    40 mi from the trail midpoint · 5,832 acres · 90% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Iron Mountain Trail?

6.8 miles, the sum of the 2 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Lolo National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Iron Mountain Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Iron Mountain Trail start?

The line begins at 47.3053, -114.8249 and ends at 47.2757, -114.8214. 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 Iron Mountain 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 Iron Mountain Trail?

Cascade Campground (0 mi) is within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Iron Mountain 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 Iron Mountain Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Iron Mountain Trail a national trail?

Yes. The record marks it as a National Recreation Trail.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Iron Mountain Trail?

Lolo National Forest, Forest Service unit 0116. The trail is in Montana.

Source: Lolo National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Iron Mountain Trail?

3 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Rx D5 Tree Farm Piles at 15 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 2 segments named IRON MOUNTAIN in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0116. 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.