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MONTANA 4x4 TRAIL GUIDE · MT-0012

Chrome Mountain

Picket Pin · Iron Mountain · Stillwater high country near Nye, Montana
3/10AGF Difficulty · Easy
10,141 FTAGF high point
FULL DAY9.3 hours (AGF 2025)
USFSBeartooth Ranger District
CHECK BEFORE YOU GO. Secondary sources say the approach from the Stillwater side crosses private ranch land below the National Forest boundary, and public access through the ranch is not verified: stay on the road, respect gates and posted signs, and do not stop, camp or turn off there. The lower staging area is on Montana state trust land, where a state-land recreational-use permit is required (2015 secondary source; confirm with Montana DNRC). The area is threaded with old mining roads, but motor vehicles may use only the roads shown on the current North Beartooth Front MVUM (Iron Mountain Area, 2140 series). The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness lies to the south and is closed to motor vehicles. Respect mining claims and Stillwater Mine property. Check Custer Gallatin alerts and read Know Before You Go.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS

Picket Pin to Chrome Mountain

A high-country road network climbing from the Stillwater side past Picket Pin and Iron Mountain to Chrome Mountain, in the Stillwater Complex, a geologic belt with a long mining history.

NOT INCLUDED: every spur on AGF's July 19, 2025 recording. Some spurs are old mining roads that may not be open; drive only routes shown on the MVUM.
WHY 3/10

Easy · High Clearance

AGF rates a trail by its hardest unavoidable obstacle in normal dry conditions. The route is generally easy and nontechnical, but the upper road is rough and steep in places, and the Iron-to-Chrome section gets much tighter, with heavy brush. A 1985 state geology road log recommends 4WD beyond the lower road.

Rock
2/5
Mud
2/5
Water
1/5
Exposure
3/5
Snow
5/5
Pinstriping
5/5

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

ROUTE & MAP

Getting There

Official turn-by-turn directions were not found. Secondary sources describe the approach from Nye on the Stillwater side, past a lower staging area on state land, to a Custer National Forest kiosk where the road narrows (ATV Across America, 2015). AGF's 2025 run started at that kiosk area. A state-land recreational-use permit is required at the lower staging area (verify with Montana DNRC).

LOADING MAP…
North Beartooth Front MVUM →Custer Gallatin alerts →ROUTE FILE: not published yet

The pin marks the high point of AGF's July 19, 2025 run (10,141 ft). No downloadable track is published until each road is matched to the MVUM.

VEHICLE FIT

Rig Requirements

Stock 4x4
Yes — 4x4 preferred / high clearance recommended
High clearance
Yes
Tires
Stock A/T or better; 31–33-inch recommended
Rear locker
No
Front locker
No
Winch
No — basic recovery gear recommended
Full-size
Yes — with width / brush caution
Body damage
Low risk

Long-wheelbase and wide vehicles should expect tight forest, narrow tread, blind corners and heavy pinstriping on the upper Iron-to-Chrome section. Carry a saw, full-size spare and recovery gear.

TRIP PLANNING

Know Before You Go

Season
Mid-July through early fall most practical; snow dependent; verify dates on the MVUM
Typical trip
Full day
Camping
Limited
Trailer parking
Stage low, before the narrow upper roads; verify pullouts
Turnaround
Limited on the upper road
  • A secondary source says the road is usually impassable from October to June because of snow; verify seasonal dates on the MVUM.
  • This is grizzly country. A food storage order applies on the Beartooth and Yellowstone Ranger Districts.
  • Beartooth Ranger District, Red Lodge: 406-446-2103.
SOURCES

Sources & Review

Last reviewed Oct. 8, 2026. No current closure found, which is not proof the road is open; seasonal dates are unconfirmed. AGF last drove it on July 19, 2025.

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.