Big Sky Back Country Byway, Terry to Wolf Point, Montana | Trail Guide

MONTANA SCENIC BYWAY GUIDE · MT-0041

Big Sky Back Country Byway

MT-253 · MT-200 · MT-13 · Terry to Circle to Wolf Point, eastern Montana

1/10AGF Difficulty · Easy

~105 MIPoint to point, about 2 hours one way (BLM)

PAVEDAll-weather, year round (BLM)

BLM · MDTMiles City FO · state highways

NO SERVICES BETWEEN TOWNS, AND THE LAND OFF THE HIGHWAY IS LARGELY PRIVATE. Fuel, food and lodging are only in Terry, Circle and Wolf Point; Visit Montana (state tourism, secondary) lists no services on the byway. Carry water and, in cold months, winter gear (AGF advice). AGF expects most land along the corridor to be private; BLM's byway page does not describe land ownership. The highway right-of-way is not permission to use adjacent land: check a land-ownership map and posted signs before using any pullout, side road or campsite. Unpaved Terry Badlands roads, BLM spurs and ranch roads are not part of this guide and were not researched. Hunting season is open: deer and elk archery runs to Oct. 18, pheasant and general antelope open Oct. 10, and general deer and elk run Oct. 24–Nov. 29, 2026 (FWP). Expect slow or parked hunter vehicles and people on the shoulders. BLM says visitors can enjoy the badlands "year round from this all-weather road," but blowing snow, ice and wind can still close or degrade open-prairie highways (AGF advice). Check MDT 511 (511mt.net or 1-800-226-7623) on the day of travel, and read Know Before You Go.

AGF HAS NOT RUN THIS ROUTE. This guide is built from official sources (BLM and MDT) plus clearly labeled secondary sources. No AGF field visit is behind it, and the 1/10 rating comes from those sources, not from an AGF drive.

WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS

Terry to Wolf Point on State Highways

The signed BLM Big Sky Back Country Byway, about 105 miles: north from Terry on MT-253 (MDT's S-253), east on MT-200 to Circle, then north on MT-13 to Wolf Point (BLM). BLM says the entire route is paved; allow about 2 hours one way. Visit Montana (secondary) says it follows part of the old Regina–Yellowstone Trail.

NOT INCLUDED: unpaved Terry Badlands side roads, BLM spurs, ranch roads, Regina–Yellowstone Trail remnants and any private land.

WHY 1/10

Easy · Paved Highway

AGF rates a trail by its hardest unavoidable obstacle in normal dry conditions. Despite the "back country" name, BLM says the whole route is paved, all-weather highway. There is no off-road obstacle on the signed byway. Snow, ice, wind and construction are road-condition changes, not part of the rating.

Rock

0/5

Mud

0/5

Water

0/5

Exposure

0/5

Snow

2/5

Pinstriping

0/5

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

ROUTE & MAP

Getting There

From the south (Visit Montana, secondary): leave I-94 at the Terry exit (176) and look for the portal signs and the kiosk at the service station on the west side of the road. Drive north on MT-253, turn right (east) on MT-200 to Circle, then go north on MT-13 to Wolf Point (BLM). From the north (Visit Montana, secondary): turn south onto Highway 13 just east of Wolf Point; the portal sign and kiosk are just before the Missouri River crossing. BLM lists kiosks in Terry, Circle and Wolf Point; the Circle kiosk is at the county museum (Visit Montana, secondary).

LOADING MAP…

BLM Big Sky Byway →FWP hunting seasons →ROUTE FILE: not published yet

The pin marks Terry, the south start of the byway (AGF record). It has not been checked against the portal kiosk at the I-94 exit. No downloadable track is published: a candidate track from MDT highway data has not been finished or checked.

VEHICLE FIT

Rig Requirements

Stock 4x4: Yes
High clearance: No
Tires: Stock
Rear locker: No
Front locker: No
Winch: No
Full-size: Yes
Body damage: Low risk

Any passenger vehicle in normal highway condition suits the byway; high clearance, low range, lockers and a winch are not needed. Carry normal highway emergency supplies, water and winter gear suited to eastern Montana.

TRIP PLANNING

Know Before You Go

Season: All year (BLM); check MDT 511 for winter conditions
Typical trip: About 2 hours one way (BLM)
Camping: Undeveloped BLM campgrounds and "dispersed camping available in areas" (BLM); no sites named, verify
Trailers: Suitable on the highway (AGF judgment); pullouts vary
Turnaround: Towns and highway junctions

Fuel, food and lodging: Terry, Circle and Wolf Point only.
MDT has proposed curve reconstruction on S-253 about 18.5 miles north of Terry, planned beyond its 5-year horizon (Nov. 2025). No 2026 work was found.
No 2026 closure, construction or fire notice was found for MT-253, MT-200 or MT-13, and no live MDT 511 check was made. Check fire restrictions for Prairie, McCone and Roosevelt counties before any campfire.
Contact: BLM Miles City Field Office, 406-233-2800.

SOURCES

Sources & Review

BLM: Big Sky Back Country Byway (about 105 mi, Terry to Wolf Point; entire route paved; all-weather, year round; about 2 hr; kiosks; Miles City FO 406-233-2800)
Visit Montana: Big Sky Back Country Byway (secondary (state tourism); highways 253, 200 and 13; I-94 exit 176; portals; no services)
MDT news: Proposed safety improvements on S-253 (Nov. 18, 2025) (beyond the 5-year planning horizon; not current)
MDT news: Wolf Point south pavement preservation (Jan. 20, 2026) (MT-25, not on the byway; planned for 2027)
Montana FWP: Hunting seasons (2026 antelope Oct. 10–Nov. 8; pheasant Oct. 10–Jan. 1; deer/elk Oct. 24–Nov. 29)

Last reviewed Oct. 8, 2026. No closure was found, but no live MDT 511 check was made. AGF has not run this route.

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.