Benbow Jeep Trail (FS 2415) near Dean, Montana | Trail Guide

MONTANA 4x4 TRAIL GUIDE · MT-0049

Benbow Jeep Trail (FS 2415)

Forest Road 2415 off Benbow Road (FS 2414) · Stillwater Plateau · south of Dean, Montana

5/10AGF Difficulty · Moderate · AGF-driven; rating confirmed by Aaron, Oct. 12, 2026

7.54 MIOne way on FS 2415 (live FS MVUM data), plus 2.4 mi from Dean

PRIVATE MINE SITEBLM data shows the Benbow Mine area as private: view only

USFSBeartooth Ranger District

BLM LAND-STATUS DATA SHOWS THE BENBOW MINE SITE AND THE AREA AROUND IT AS PRIVATE. DO NOT ENTER MINE WORKINGS OR DISTURB STRUCTURES, AND DO NOT LOOP DOWN FS 2414. BLM land-status data (limited scale) shows private land at the Benbow Mine site and at the nearby point where AGF's earlier directory pin sat. Do not enter, camp at or disturb the headframe, shafts or structures; view them from the road. Verify current land status with the Beartooth Ranger District (406-446-2103). FS 2415 itself is shown as Forest Service land at five sampled points (same data). No loop: Benbow Road (FS 2414) is "Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Yearlong" (live FS MVUM data), and a 0.36-mile piece of it (MP 11.062–11.422) is not in the MVUM or the Forest Service road inventory. Return on FS 2415 unless the Beartooth Ranger District confirms a legal loop. On FS 2414, the Forest Service says, "Your ATV or UTV must be licensed and highway legal to ride on forest roads." Rock: onX (secondary) reports large boulders and sustained low range; pinstriping and body-damage risk are high (AGF record). The Forest Service says, "This road is very rocky and can be difficult even in high clearance vehicles" (Benbow area page, in its directions up the Benbow jeep trail, FS 2415). Snow: onX reports (secondary) say a party "made it to almost 8,000 ft in elevation before the snow got too deep to get through" on May 11, 2024, and deep snow stopped vehicles again on June 3, 2024, when one party reported "the return road was impassible without a lot more winching" (onX, secondary). Historical: during a search and rescue in late August 2025, the Stillwater County Sheriff and Custer Gallatin temporarily closed Benbow Road above the mine and Stillwater Plateau Trail #51 (NBC Montana, secondary; paraphrase). That closure has expired. FS 2415's vehicle class comes from the Forest Service's live MVUM data (EDW, read Oct. 12, 2026); check the 2026 MVUM before you go. Official closures, posted signs and private property override this guide. Call the Beartooth Ranger District (406-446-2103) before you go, and read Know Before You Go.

AGF DROVE THE BENBOW JEEP TRAIL. AARON CONFIRMED THIS 5/10 ON OCT. 12, 2026. Aaron drove FS 2415 to the Benbow plateau himself, and AGF's GPS archive has a matching track from August 2020 (owner statement, Oct. 12, 2026; AGF archive of 274 tracks). He confirmed the 5/10 rating, which rests on the terrain described in the sources below (owner statement). Access, land status and conditions come from official Forest Service and BLM sources and clearly labeled secondary sources, not from the AGF drive. No GPX file or track is published.

WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS

FS 2415 Out and Back

Forest Road 2415, the Benbow Jeep Trail, from its junction with Benbow Road (FS 2414), 2.4 miles from Dean (FS), to its upper end back on FS 2414, and back the same way: 7.54 miles one way (live FS MVUM data), about 15.1 miles round trip on FS 2415. FS 2415 is open to all vehicles, yearlong (live FS MVUM data). onX (secondary) lists 8.5 miles, which likely includes FS 2414 to the mine (unverified).

NOT INCLUDED: any loop down FS 2414, FS 2414 beyond the FS 2415 ends, the Benbow Mine site and its structures (private land per BLM data; view only), Stillwater Plateau Trail #51, and side spurs.

WHY 5/10

Moderate · Large Boulders, Sustained Low Range

Aaron drove FS 2415 and confirmed the 5/10 on Oct. 12, 2026 (owner statement). AGF rates a trail by its hardest unavoidable obstacle in normal dry conditions. Here that is the large-boulder sections: onX (secondary, rated 5) says the trail "will remind you how the Rocky Mountains got their name, they're made of rock". A July 20, 2024 onX report says, "Very rocky trail, as in large boulders." The same report describes about half the ride in low range with the front locker engaged (paraphrase); an Aug. 2, 2025 report says, "I believe the technical rating hits the mark perfect." The Forest Service says the jeep trail "is very rocky and can be difficult even in high clearance vehicles". No winch-only obstacle is documented in dry conditions; the winching reports were in deep snow, which is a condition change, not part of the base rating.

Rock

5/5

Mud

3/5

Water

1/5

Exposure

3/5

Snow

5/5

Pinstriping

4/5

Snow, mud, runoff, deadfall and fire are condition changes, not part of the base rating.

ROUTE & MAP

Getting There

Forest Service directions from the Beartooth Ranger District office (6811 Hwy 212, Red Lodge): "Drive north on US Hwy 212 for 2.1 miles and turn left (west) onto MT-78." "Drive 30 miles and turn left (west) onto MT-419 towards Fishtail." "Drive 13.9 miles to the town of Dean and turn left (south) onto Benbow Rd (forest road 2414)." "Drive 2.4 miles to the Benbow jeep trail (forest road 2415) on your left." For West Fishtail Trail users, the Forest Service says it is "advised to park at the junction of forest road 2414 and 2415, especially if you have a horse trailer," and walk about 1.5 miles up FS 2415 to the trailhead. Drive FS 2415 about 7.5 miles to its upper end on FS 2414 (about 45.3559, -109.8037; live FS MVUM data), then return the same way on FS 2415. The first part of Benbow Road from Dean is a public road in state GIS; its county status: verify.

LOADING MAP…

Benbow area (FS, PDF) →Custer Gallatin alerts →ROUTE FILE: not published yet

The pin marks the start of FS 2415 at Benbow Road (live FS MVUM data; not field-checked); the Forest Service advises West Fishtail Trail users, especially those with horse trailers, to park at this junction. It replaces AGF's earlier pin near the mine, which BLM land-status data shows as private. No downloadable track is published.

VEHICLE FIT

Rig Requirements

Stock 4x4: No
High clearance: Required
Tires: 33-inch minimum
Rear locker: Recommended
Front locker: Recommended
Winch: Recommended
Full-size: Limited
Body damage: High risk

A high-clearance, low-range 4x4 on 33-inch-class A/T or M/T tires, with sliders and skids, a full-size spare, rated recovery points and substantial recovery gear (AGF record). A rear locker is strongly recommended and a front locker helps on the large-boulder sections; a winch or capable partner is recommended (AGF record). Full-size rigs face large boulders, narrow tread and real pinstriping and body-clearance risk; shorter, narrower rigs are preferred (AGF record). Avoid solo travel in snow or wet conditions.

TRIP PLANNING

Know Before You Go

Season: No MVUM seasonal date (FS 2415 open to all vehicles yearlong; live FS MVUM data); snow-limited: deep snow reported May 11 and June 3, 2024 (onX, secondary); practical window about late June–mid-October (AGF research estimate; verify)
Typical trip: Half day; 2–3 hours each direction (AGF record estimate)
Parking: FS 2414/2415 junction (FS advice for West Fishtail Trail users, especially with horse trailers)
Camping: Verify; not at the private mine site
Turnaround: Limited (AGF record); verify

Hunting season: Montana's general deer and elk season runs Oct. 24–Nov. 29, 2026 (FWP). Expect hunters, camps and parked vehicles; wear blaze orange outside the vehicle. Archery season runs to Oct. 18. A youth deer hunt runs Oct. 15–16 (FWP).
Grizzly country: the Forest Service says "a Food Storage Order is in effect annually from March 1 to December 1" (Benbow area page; order 01-11-00-23-02).
No Custer Gallatin alert named Benbow, FS 2414 or FS 2415 on Oct. 12, 2026 (Beartooth fire danger Moderate). Recheck before you go.
Contacts: Beartooth Ranger District (406-446-2103), 6811 Hwy 212, Red Lodge: mine-site ownership, the FS 2414 gap and any legal loop.

SOURCES

Sources & Review

FS EDW MVUM roads (live) (official; read Oct. 12, 2026; FS 2415 BENBOW JEEP TRAIL, 0–7.54 mi, "Roads open to all Vehicles, Yearlong," all classes 01/01–12/31, ML2, native, Beartooth RD; FS 2414 BENBOW "Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Yearlong"; pin and end coordinates)
FS EDW RoadBasic (live) (official FS road inventory; FS 2415 0–7.54; FS 2414 only MP 1.858–11.062 and 11.422–12.4)
USFS: Benbow area (PDF) (official, undated; directions from the district office and from Dean; parking advice; ATV/UTV highway-legal rule; road condition; food storage order)
Montana State Library transportation framework, Public Roads (state GIS, not a legal-status record; BENBOW RD public road from Dean (Stillwater County provider))
BLM National SMA (limited scale) (federal land-status data, generalized; private at the Benbow Mine site and at AGF's earlier pin; Forest Service at five points on FS 2415)
onX Offroad: Benbow Jeep Trail (secondary (crowd); 8.5 mi; rated 5; reports May 11, 2024–Aug. 2, 2025)
NBC Montana: Search and rescue efforts prompt road and trail closures (Aug. 25, 2025) (secondary news; historical, expired closure)
Custer Gallatin NF alerts (checked Oct. 12, 2026; nothing on this route; Beartooth fire danger Moderate)
Custer Gallatin food storage order 01-11-00-23-02 (Gardiner and Beartooth RDs; Mar. 1–Dec. 1)
Custer Gallatin NF: Beartooth Ranger District (6811 Hwy 212, Red Lodge; 406-446-2103)
AGF owner statement (Aaron), Oct. 12, 2026 (internal AGF record; drove FS 2415 to the Benbow plateau; rating 5 confirmed; relayed by the project coordinator)
AGF GPS archive: August 2020 track (internal AGF record; simplified geometry; matches the owner's Benbow drive; not published)
Montana FWP: Hunting seasons (2026 deer/elk archery Sept. 5–Oct. 18; youth deer Oct. 15–16; general Oct. 24–Nov. 29)

Last reviewed Oct. 12, 2026. No alert names the route, but BLM land-status data shows the Benbow Mine site as private, FS 2414 is highway-legal only with a gap that is not on the MVUM (no loop), and snow can block the plateau into June. Aaron drove FS 2415 (AGF GPS track, August 2020) and confirmed the 5/10 on Oct. 12, 2026. No GPX is published.

AGF ratings describe normal, dry-condition difficulty. They do not mean a route is legal, open or passable today. Spot something out of date? Use the Contact page.