Highlights: A scenic walk along a dry, forested ridge.
Location: Near Helena.
Type of hike: Shuttle day hike.
Total distance: 7.4 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Best months: May through October.
Maps: Helena USGS Quad and Helena National Forest Map.
Finding the trailhead: Drive south of downtown Helena on Park Avenue until you see the sign for Mount Helena City Park and Reeders Village, a new residential subdivision. Drive up through the subdivision to the dirt parking lot.
To set up the shuttle, drive south on Park Avenue until it forks, just out of town. Take the right fork (Grizzly Gulch) and drive 4.1 miles up the well-maintained dirt road to where another dirt road veers off to the right on an open area on top of a large hill. The upper trailhead (locally called Park City Trailhead after a long-gone ghost town) is half a mile up this road. Look for a small sign marking the direction to the trail and the right turn. Drive a short distance to a parking area. Start here and hike toward Helena.
Parking & trailhead facilities: Limited parking at Park City trailheads; portable toilet and large parking lot (often full on weekend afternoons) at the Mount Helena City Park Trailhead.
Key points
Location: Near Helena.
Type of hike: Shuttle day hike.
Total distance: 7.4 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Best months: May through October.
Maps: Helena USGS Quad and Helena National Forest Map.
Finding the trailhead: Drive south of downtown Helena on Park Avenue until you see the sign for Mount Helena City Park and Reeders Village, a new residential subdivision. Drive up through the subdivision to the dirt parking lot.
To set up the shuttle, drive south on Park Avenue until it forks, just out of town. Take the right fork (Grizzly Gulch) and drive 4.1 miles up the well-maintained dirt road to where another dirt road veers off to the right on an open area on top of a large hill. The upper trailhead (locally called Park City Trailhead after a long-gone ghost town) is half a mile up this road. Look for a small sign marking the direction to the trail and the right turn. Drive a short distance to a parking area. Start here and hike toward Helena.
Parking & trailhead facilities: Limited parking at Park City trailheads; portable toilet and large parking lot (often full on weekend afternoons) at the Mount Helena City Park Trailhead.
Key points
5.0 City park boundary
5.4 Junction with Prairie, Backside, and 1906 trails.
5.9 Summit of Mount Helena
7.4 Mount Helena City Park Trailhead
The hike: This scenic, 7-mile, point-to-point trail has been designated a National Recreation Trail by the Forest Service. Mount Helena is a 620-acre city park with about 20 miles of hiking trails.
From Park City Trailhead, follow Trail 373 as it climbs gently up a few long switchbacks along a grassy slope to the northeast. Small clusters of rural ranchettes dot the valley below. From here to Mount Helena, the trail is well marked. This is probably the most scenic part of the hike, with views of the Mount Helena ridge, Mount Helena, and the Helena Valley. The city of Helena also appears frequently in the distance. After 5.4 miles, you reach the junction with Prairie Trail (stay right) and shortly after Backside Trail, (stay left), and then the 1906 Trail (stay right). All three junctions are within a 200-yard stretch of trail. Follow the 1906 Trail to the top of Mount Helena. From the summit, there are at least three ways to get down, but the most pleasant is to descend to the south on Hogback Trail and turn left on Prospect Shafts Trail, descending gently down to the trail above the new Reeders Village subdivision and your vehicle. Since this ridgetop trail is totally dry, bring plenty of water.
You might want to give the Forest Service a call and thank them for developing such a fine hiking trail so close to an urban area.
From Park City Trailhead, follow Trail 373 as it climbs gently up a few long switchbacks along a grassy slope to the northeast. Small clusters of rural ranchettes dot the valley below. From here to Mount Helena, the trail is well marked. This is probably the most scenic part of the hike, with views of the Mount Helena ridge, Mount Helena, and the Helena Valley. The city of Helena also appears frequently in the distance. After 5.4 miles, you reach the junction with Prairie Trail (stay right) and shortly after Backside Trail, (stay left), and then the 1906 Trail (stay right). All three junctions are within a 200-yard stretch of trail. Follow the 1906 Trail to the top of Mount Helena. From the summit, there are at least three ways to get down, but the most pleasant is to descend to the south on Hogback Trail and turn left on Prospect Shafts Trail, descending gently down to the trail above the new Reeders Village subdivision and your vehicle. Since this ridgetop trail is totally dry, bring plenty of water.
You might want to give the Forest Service a call and thank them for developing such a fine hiking trail so close to an urban area.
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