RIDE THE TRAILS OF CENTRAL MONTANA

BYOH (bring your own horse!) and enjoy some of the most accessible and scenic country in the western US.  Make Lewistown your home base and explore the Mountains that surround it.  The Big and Little Snowy  Mountains, the Belts, the Judiths and the Mocassins are the closest, but The Castles, Crazies and the Highwoods are also within reach for a day ride.  For a change of scenery, you might want to head north and explore portions of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge or ride the prairies on the extensive public land between Lewistown and the Missouri river.

Useful Information Sources:

1. Much of the trail riding is done on Forest Service land and the U.S. Forest Service map for the Lewis and Clark National Forest, Jefferson Division covers most all of the areas accessible from Lewistown.  Most of the riding from Lewistown would be in the Judith Ranger District, 109 Central Ave., PO Box 484, Stanford, MT 59479 (406-566-2292) or the Musselshell Ranger District, 809 2nd St. NW, PO Box 1906, Harlowton, MT 59036 (406- 632-4391).  Maps would be available from either and a call before heading out is always a good idea to see if there are any current issues concerning travel in the backcountry.
2. The BLM has major land management responsibilities in the area, most notably the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.  The BLM field Office is in Lewistown and they can be reached at 406-538-1900.  Extensive information on the National Monument is available on the State BLM web site at www.blm.gov/mt.
3. The Charles M. Russell National wildlife Refuge is also headquartered in Lewistown and information and maps are available from them directly at 406-538-8706 or on their web site at www.fws.gov/cmr.
4. The Judith Basin Back Country Horsemen are another potential source of helpful information.  The current President is Gene Couch.  He can be reached at 406-538-9734.  Give Gene a call and some local riders might be interested in showing you some of our great backcountry.

Lodging:

The Fergus County Fairgrounds offers RV parking with electric hookups and overnight horse boarding in addition to a nice outdoor area where horses can be exercised.  Contact the Fairgrounds at 406-535-8841.  Or, board your horse at the Fairgrounds and stay at one of the lodging facilities in town.  Overnight boarding is also available at Arrowhead Stables.  Contact Chris at 406-366-0911.  In addition, many of the rural bed and breakfasts and guest ranches (see the lodging page in the visitors guide section of this web site) have facilities for overnighting horses.

Trail Guide:

We are in the process of compiling detailed guides to some of our favorite trails.  We’re just getting started, but more trails will be added over the next several months.  Every attempt has been made to be helpful and accurate, but be aware that conditions in the back country change constantly and we can’t be responsible for problems you may encounter.  If you’re interested in particular trails, click on them below for detailed information.

Limekiln Trail, Judith Mountains