Oil Well
Oil Well Trail is a 10.4 miles trail in Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 4, highly developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, atv and e-bikes.
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 | 45.0397, -111.2809 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 44.9811, -111.3100 · 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
| Length | 10.4 miles |
| Trail class | 4, highly developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Open to at least one motorized use |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 68 |
| 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 |
| Motorcycle | Allowed 07/16 to 12/01 (month/day) |
| ATV | Allowed 07/16 to 12/01 (month/day) |
| E-bikes | Allowed 07/16 to 12/01 (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
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
20 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 Oil Well Trail?
10.4 miles, the sum of the 2 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Custer Gallatin National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Oil Well Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, atv and e-bikes. 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 Oil Well Trail start?
The line begins at 45.0397, -111.2809 and ends at 44.9811, -111.3100. The nearest recorded trailhead is Upper Wapiti Trailhead, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Oil Well 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 Oil Well Trail?
Wapiti Cabin (0.3 mi), Eldridge Guard Station (2.6 mi) and Beaver Creek Cabin (4.1 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Oil Well Trail?
Trail class 4, which the Forest Service describes as highly 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 Oil Well Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Oil Well Trail?
Custer Gallatin National Forest, Forest Service unit 0111. The trail is in Montana.
Is there a fire near the Oil Well Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Lonesome Wood Rx Unit 31B at 20 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 2 segments named OIL WELL 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.