Custer Gallatin National Forest · Montana · Trail 455

Upper Wildhorse Lick

Upper Wildhorse Lick Trail is a 6 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 end45.5068, -110.9827 · Directions ↗
Other end45.4889, -110.9595 · 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 3 segments.

The trail

Length6 miles
Trail class4, highly 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 numbers455
ForestCuster Gallatin National Forest (unit 0111)
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 11/30 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed 06/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
MotorcycleAllowed 06/16 to 12/01 (month/day)
ATVAllowed 06/16 to 12/01 (month/day)
E-bikesAllowed 06/16 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

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.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Upper Wildhorse Lick Trail?

6 miles, the sum of the 3 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Custer Gallatin National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Upper Wildhorse Lick 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 Upper Wildhorse Lick Trail start?

The line begins at 45.5068, -110.9827 and ends at 45.4889, -110.9595. 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 Upper Wildhorse Lick 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 Upper Wildhorse Lick Trail?

Hood Creek Campground (0.5 mi), Hyalite Pavilion (0.7 mi) and Maxey Cabin (0.8 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Upper Wildhorse Lick 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 Upper Wildhorse Lick Trail?

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

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Upper Wildhorse Lick Trail?

Custer Gallatin National Forest, Forest Service unit 0111. The trail is in Montana.

Source: Custer Gallatin National Forest official page

Source

This page is built from 3 segments named UPPER WILDHORSE LICK 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.