Gravelly Range Road Scenic Drive near Ennis, Montana | Trail Guide

MONTANA 4x4 TRAIL GUIDE · MT-0037

Gravelly Range Road

FS 290 high-country ridge road · Madison Ranger District · south of Ennis, Montana

1/10AGF Difficulty · Easy

~40 MIFS 290 core (AGF estimate from FS road data; verify)

CLOSED APR–JUNWheeled vehicles, Apr. 1–June 30

USFSMadison Ranger District

MID-OCTOBER IS DAYS AWAY: THE FOREST SERVICE SAYS THIS ROAD OFTEN TURNS TREACHEROUS FROM THEN THROUGH NOVEMBER. Recreation.gov (the Forest Service cabin listing) warns: "The road can be treacherous and impassable if the conditions are wet or snowy, often in mid-October and November," and snow can make the cabins inaccessible by vehicle in late October and November (Recreation.gov). No current condition report exists for the ridge, so assume snow is possible on any trip from now on. An active Beaverhead-Deerlodge alert (since July 6, 2026, no end date) says rain made the southern ~8 miles of NFSR 290 "nearly impassable"; riders got stuck and one was injured. It is an advisory, not a closure: when the road is wet the Forest Service asks travelers to use the alternate route, North Valley Road (county), Ruby Divide Road (FR 100) and Eureka Basin Road (FR 347). "All roads in the Gravelly Range are closed to wheeled motorized use from April 1 through June 30" (Recreation.gov). Over-snow vehicles are permitted Dec. 2–May 15 (Recreation.gov; some Recreation.gov text says after Dec. 1: verify). Whether FS 290 is closed to wheeled vehicles in winter or only snowbound is unconfirmed: check the MVUM. Four-wheel drive and chains may be needed to reach the cabins in mud or snow (Recreation.gov). AGF has not reviewed the MVUM for this route: side roads may have different vehicle classes or dates. Call the Madison Ranger District (406-682-4253) before you go, and read Know Before You Go.

AGF HAS NOT RUN THIS ROUTE. This guide is built from official sources (Forest Service and Recreation.gov) 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

The FS 290 Ridge-Road Core

The high-country core of the Gravelly Range Road (FS 290), about 40 miles. That length is AGF's estimate from Forest Service road data, not an official figure: verify. Recreation.gov's "about 40 miles" is a different measure (Ennis via Varney Road to Black Butte Cabin). Allow 3–5 hours for the core (AGF estimate).

NOT INCLUDED: the paved and gravel approaches from Ennis, the full Ennis-to-Centennial Valley drive (about 72 miles, per Big Sky Fishing, third party), side roads such as FS 237, FS 209, FS 163, FS 1012 and FS 347, and the south descent to the Centennial Valley, whose exact terminus is unverified.

WHY 1/10

Easy · Gravel Road When Dry

AGF rates a trail by its hardest unavoidable obstacle in normal dry conditions. Official sources describe a gravel and dirt road with no documented technical obstacle, generally passenger-car compatible when dry (AGF record; Big Sky Fishing, third party, agrees). Recreation.gov (West Fork Cabin page) notes "some long, steep grades, which may require four-wheel drive." Washboard, ruts and remote high country call for judgment. Wet clay and snow change it completely: the southern ~8 miles became nearly impassable after rain in July 2026 (USFS).

Rock

1/5

Mud

4/5

Water

0/5

Exposure

2/5

Snow

5/5

Pinstriping

1/5

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

ROUTE & MAP

Getting There

Middle access (USFS): from Ennis, drive about 32 miles south on US-287 to the West Fork Rest Area, turn west on West Fork Road (FS 209), then go about 13 miles northwest on Standard Creek Road (FS 237) to Black Butte Cabin, about a quarter mile from the junction of FS 290, FS 1012 and FS 237 (Recreation.gov). North access (Recreation.gov): from Ennis, take MT-287 toward Virginia City about 2 miles to Varney Road, which leads to FS 290. Other connectors named by Recreation.gov: Warm Springs Road (FS 163), Cottonwood Road (FS 1012) and Eureka Basin Road (FS 347). The south end descends toward the Centennial Valley (Big Sky Fishing, third party); its exact terminus is unverified.

LOADING MAP…

Beaverhead-Deerlodge alerts →FS 290 wet-road alert →ROUTE FILE: not published yet

The pin marks Black Butte Cabin (FS 237, near the FS 290 ridge road), Forest Service coordinate. It is not the start or end of FS 290. (AGF's trail record placed this waypoint at Ennis, about 30 miles north; the guide uses the Forest Service coordinate.) No downloadable track is published: a candidate FS 290 track from Forest Service road 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

In dry conditions passenger cars, stock SUVs and stock 4x4s suit the main ridge road (AGF record). 4WD becomes important on wet clay, and chains may be needed to reach the cabins in mud or snow (Recreation.gov). Full-size and long-wheelbase rigs should take care on steep grades and narrow pullouts. Carry a full-size spare, water, a fuel margin, offline maps and basic recovery gear.

TRIP PLANNING

Know Before You Go

Season: Wheeled: July 1 to about mid-October, weather permitting; closed Apr. 1–June 30
Over-snow: Dec. 2–May 15 (Recreation.gov); winter wheeled status: verify
Typical trip: 3–5 hours for the core (AGF estimate)
Camping: Black Butte and West Fork rental cabins (Recreation.gov); other camping: verify
Trailer parking: Limited (AGF); verify
Turnaround: Main road and developed junctions (AGF); verify before towing

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).
Bear country: Beaverhead-Deerlodge food storage order 02-00-22-02 applies Mar. 1–Dec. 1.
No fire restriction for the Gravelly Range was listed on Oct. 8, 2026 (fire danger Moderate). Recheck before any campfire.
Black Butte Cabin is open July 1–March 31; snowmobiles are needed to reach it in winter (USFS).
Expect no fuel or services on the ridge and little or no cell coverage (AGF expectation, not confirmed on an official page: verify).
A 2022 Clover Fire closure touched FS 163 and FS 290; it expired Oct. 30, 2022 and is not current.

SOURCES

Sources & Review

Recreation.gov: Black Butte Cabin (Forest Service listing; Apr. 1–June 30 wheeled closure; Dec. 2–May 15 over-snow; FS 290/1012/237 junction; Varney Road access; 4WD and chains)
Recreation.gov: West Fork Cabin (Forest Service listing; "treacherous and impassable" when wet or snowy, mid-October and November; long, steep grades that may require 4WD; snowmobiles after Dec. 1)
Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF: Black Butte Cabin (pin coordinate; 32 mi south of Ennis, 13 mi on FS 237; Madison RD 406-682-4253; open July 1–Mar. 31; updated Apr. 16, 2026)
Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF alert: Montana BDR Alternative Route (southern ~8 mi of FS 290 nearly impassable when wet; advisory alternate; since July 6, 2026)
Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF alerts (checked Oct. 8, 2026; no Gravelly closure or fire restriction; food storage order)
Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF: Madison Ranger District (district page; Supervisor's Office 406-683-3900)
Montana FWP: Hunting seasons (2026 general deer/elk Oct. 24–Nov. 29)
InciWeb: Clover Fire area closure order (2022) (historical; expired Oct. 30, 2022)
Big Sky Fishing: Gravelly Range Road (third party; 72 mi Ennis to Centennial; south end)

Last reviewed Oct. 8, 2026. No closure is listed, but the Forest Service says the road is often treacherous or impassable when wet or snowy in mid-October and November, and no current condition report exists. 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.