Montana · Trail 161

Wilson Draw

Wilson Draw Trail is a 5.7-mile trail in Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock.

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 end45.0932° N, 111.2141° W · Directions ↗
Other end45.1013° N, 111.1317° 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 is recorded as 5 segments.

The trail

Length5.7 miles
Trail class2, moderately developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers161
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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Wilson Draw Trail10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.83 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.51 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.88 inches of precipitationApril: 2.42 inches of precipitationMay: 2.83 inches of precipitationJune: 3.22 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.25 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.56 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.70 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.77 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.60 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.74 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 19.2°F averageFebruary: 21.5°F averageMarch: 29.3°F averageApril: 35.2°F averageMay: 44.1°F averageJune: 51.4°F averageJuly: 59.5°F averageAugust: 58.0°F averageSeptember: 50.8°F averageOctober: 38.8°F averageNovember: 26.2°F averageDecember: 18.0°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Big Sky 2Wnw, 15 miles from the trail midpoint at 6,590 feet, station USC00240775 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 23 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed 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
    Fy26 West Zone Piles Unit 22N 999C 999D Rx

    33 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

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 Wilson Draw Trail?

The Forest Service records 5.7 miles under this name in Custer Gallatin National Forest, the sum of 5 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Wilson Draw Trail?

Hiking and horse and pack stock are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Wilson Draw Trail start?

The line begins at 45.0932° N, 111.2141° W and ends at 45.1013° N, 111.1317° 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 Wilson Draw 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 Wilson Draw Trail?

Tom Miner Campground (3.9 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 Wilson Draw Trail?

Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately 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 Wilson Draw Trail?

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

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Wilson Draw Trail?

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

Source: Custer Gallatin National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Wilson Draw Trail?

The interagency feed shows 1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Fy26 West Zone Piles Unit 22N 999C 999D Rx at 33 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 5 segments named Wilson Draw 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 November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.