Montana · Trail 51

Ninemile Divide

Ninemile Divide Trail is a 17.8-mile trail in Lolo National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and motorcycle.

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 end47.0896° N, 114.5887° W · Directions ↗
Other end47.2538° N, 114.7715° W · 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

Length17.8 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesOpen to at least one motorized use
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers51
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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Ninemile Divide Trail20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.19 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.29 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.11 inches of precipitationApril: 1.36 inches of precipitationMay: 1.80 inches of precipitationJune: 2.03 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.93 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.05 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.99 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.34 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.95 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.38 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 28.6°F averageFebruary: 32.1°F averageMarch: 40.0°F averageApril: 46.5°F averageMay: 55.3°F averageJune: 61.6°F averageJuly: 69.6°F averageAugust: 68.8°F averageSeptember: 59.5°F averageOctober: 47.2°F averageNovember: 34.9°F averageDecember: 27.8°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Superior, 10 miles from the trail midpoint at 2,710 feet, station USW00024159 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 16 inches a year. The station sits about 3,500 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round
MotorcycleAllowed 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.

Trails nearby

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 D7 Second Skinny S40 S51

    2 mi from the trail midpoint · 111 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx D4 Clearwater Crossing Admin

    20 mi from the trail midpoint · 1 acre

  • Prescribed
    Rx D4 Sawmill Petty 931

    21 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    Rx Pln Rocky Swamp

    26 mi from the trail midpoint · 10 acres

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

Explore

Guidebooks for Montana

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • 100 Classic Hikes: Montana
    Douglas Lorain, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Day Hiking Glacier National Park and Western Montana
    Aaron Theisen, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking waterfalls in Montana
    John Kratz, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Montana: Bozeman
    Bill Schneider, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks
    Erik Molvar, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Ninemile Divide Trail?

The Forest Service records 17.8 miles under this name in Lolo National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Ninemile Divide Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and motorcycle are allowed. The trail is open to at least one motorized use.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Ninemile Divide Trail start?

The line begins at 47.0896° N, 114.5887° W and ends at 47.2538° N, 114.7715° W. 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 Ninemile 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 Ninemile Divide Trail?

Cascade Campground (4.4 mi) is within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists it with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Ninemile 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 Ninemile Divide Trail?

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

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Ninemile Divide 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 Ninemile Divide Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx D7 Second Skinny S40 S51 at 2 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Ninemile Divide 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 November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.