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MONTANA 4x4 TRAIL GUIDE · MT-0019

Radersburg Pass (FS 8554)

Elkhorn to Radersburg Pass and back · Elkhorn Mountains · Butte Ranger District · near Boulder, Montana
2/10AGF Difficulty · Easy · provisional (onX loop rating, secondary); AGF has not driven the pass climb
~3.06 MIOne way, Elkhorn to the pass on FS 8554 (MVUM mileposts); about 6.1 mi round trip
CLOSED OCT. 16–DEC. 1Pass segment MP 1.913–3.059 (2023 MVUM data copy, not FS-hosted)
USFSBeaverhead-Deerlodge NF · Butte RD
THE CLIMB TO THE PASS (FS 8554 MP 1.913–3.059) IS CLOSED TO MOTOR VEHICLES OCT. 16–DEC. 1, AND FS 8554 IS HIGHWAY-LEGAL VEHICLES ONLY EXCEPT MP 3.059–4.911. THIS IS AN OUT-AND-BACK: NO LEGAL LOOP IS CONFIRMED, SO RETURN THE WAY YOU CAME. A 2023 MVUM data copy (not FS-hosted) lists FS 8554 Radersburg Pass as "Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Yearlong" from MP 0 to 1.913; "Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Seasonal," open Dec. 2–Oct. 15, from MP 1.913 to 3.059 (the climb to the pass); "Special Designation, Yearlong" (also ATVs and motorcycles) from MP 3.059 to 4.911; and highway-legal only, yearlong, from MP 4.911 to 6.52 (2026 MVUM: verify). The FS road inventory (EDW, queried Oct. 19, 2026) lists the pass segment (MP 1.913–3.059) as FS 8554 Radersburg Pass, but being in the inventory is not a designation for motor vehicles: do not assume it is open until the Butte Ranger District (406-494-2147) confirms the 2026 MVUM. Non-street-legal ATVs, UTVs and dirt bikes are not allowed except on MP 3.059–4.911. The "Tramway Road" leg of the onX loop matches no Forest Service road name AGF could find, and AGF could not match it to a numbered road, so no legal loop is confirmed: return the way you came. The Elkhorn townsite and the FS 8554/8546/8578 junction are on private land (Forest Service ownership and BLM data): stay on the road. Official closures, posted signs and private property override this guide. Read Know Before You Go.
NOT DRIVEN TO THE PASS BY AGF. THE 2/10 IS A PROVISIONAL ESTIMATE FROM SECONDARY SOURCES. AGF's 2017 and 2019 Elkhorn tracks cover FS 8554 from the townsite to the junction (about MP 0–1.9); no AGF track climbs to the pass. The map shows the June 23, 2019 track on that lower section only. The AGF trail record lists AGF Verified: NO. Everything else here comes from official sources, plus clearly labeled secondary sources. AGF will re-rate it after an AGF run to the pass, once access is confirmed.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS

Elkhorn to Radersburg Pass on FS 8554 (Out and Back)

FS 8554 from Elkhorn (MP 0, near the townsite) past the FS 8546 Queen Gulch / FS 8578 Skyline Mine junction (MP 1.913) up to Radersburg Pass (about MP 3.06), and back the same way: about 6.1 miles round trip (MVUM mileposts). The onX loop (secondary) adds a "Tramway Road" leg that matches no Forest Service road name AGF could find, and AGF could not match it to a numbered road; it is excluded.

NOT INCLUDED: the onX loop's "Tramway Road" return, FS 8554 beyond the pass, FS 8546 and FS 8578 (highway-legal only; FS 8578 beyond MP 1.955 open May 16–Dec. 1 only), side spurs, and private land at Elkhorn.
WHY 2/10

Easy · Provisional (Pass Climb Not Driven by AGF)

AGF rates a trail by its hardest unavoidable obstacle in normal dry conditions. onX (secondary) rates its Radersburg Pass loop 2; that rating is for onX's loop, not this out-and-back. The 2/10 for FS 8554 to the pass and back is provisional: it rests on that secondary loop rating alone, and AGF has not driven the climb to the pass (AGF's 2017 and 2019 tracks cover only lower FS 8554, about MP 0–1.9). Where this page says "AGF has not driven this route," read: AGF has not driven the pass climb. No official condition report was found. AGF will re-rate it after an AGF run.

Terrain scores and rig requirements: verify (AGF has not driven this route).

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

ROUTE & MAP

Getting There

Approach as for the Elkhorn Skyline guide: MT-69 from Boulder, then Elkhorn Road to Elkhorn. FS 8554 begins near the townsite (about 46.2759, -111.9415, Forest Service road data) on private land: stay on the road. The climb to the pass (MP 1.913–3.059) is closed to motor vehicles Oct. 16–Dec. 1 every year. Outside that closure, drive FS 8554 past the FS 8546/8578 junction (private land: stay on the road) to Radersburg Pass, and return the way you came. Confirm the 2026 MVUM with the Butte Ranger District (406-494-2147) before you go.

LOADING MAP…
Beaverhead-Deerlodge alerts →ROUTE FILE: unavailable right now

The pin marks Radersburg Pass (USGS GNIS 789324; National Forest land per Forest Service ownership data; not field-checked). The pass pin is about 1.1 miles southeast of the line's upper end: zoom out to see it. The red line is AGF's own GPS recording (June 23, 2019, track #64), simplified, approximate, and PARTIAL: lower FS 8554 only, from the FS 8546/8578 junction (about MP 1.86) to about MP 0.05 near the Elkhorn townsite, about 1.75 miles (17 points, about 0.2 km apart on average). It does NOT cover the climb to the pass (MP 1.913–3.059): no AGF track climbs to the pass, so that part of the route is not drawn. It also does not cover FS 8554 beyond the pass, the Tramway Road, FS 8546, FS 8578 or side spurs. Both ends of the line are on private land (the junction and the townsite): stay on the road. It is not a navigation aid and not a legal determination of access: verify the current MVUM and posted signs. Current MVUMs, closures and posted signs control.

VEHICLE FIT

Rig Requirements

Terrain scores and rig requirements: verify (AGF has not driven this route).

Highway-legal vehicles only on most of FS 8554 (2023 MVUM data copy, not FS-hosted). onX (secondary) rates its loop 2 (the loop, not this out-and-back). Rig guidance: verify. "AGF has not driven this route" above means AGF has not driven the pass climb; AGF's 2017 and 2019 tracks cover lower FS 8554 (about MP 0–1.9) only.

TRIP PLANNING

Know Before You Go

Season
FS 8554 MP 1.913–3.059: Dec. 2–Oct. 15 (closed Oct. 16–Dec. 1); other segments yearlong (2023 MVUM data copy, not FS-hosted; 2026 MVUM: verify)
Typical trip
Verify
Camping
Verify; never on private land
Trailer parking
Verify
Turnaround
Verify
  • Bear country: the Beaverhead-Deerlodge annual food storage order applies Mar. 1–Dec. 1 on National Forest land. Store food bear-safe.
  • Contacts: Butte Ranger District (406-494-2147).

AGF Live: seasonal notices and weather, fire and road information near the pin appear here when the site script runs. Otherwise, check hunting season dates with Montana FWP and conditions on Know Before You Go.

SOURCES

Sources & Review

  • FS MVUM roads, 2023 copy (ArcGIS Online) (2023 MVUM data copy (not FS-hosted); verify the current MVUM; single-ID queries Oct. 15, 2026: FS 8554 RADERSBURG PASS MP 0–1.913 highway-legal yearlong, 1.913–3.059 highway-legal 12/02–10/15, 3.059–4.911 Special Designation yearlong, 4.911–6.5219 highway-legal yearlong; FS 8546 QUEEN GULCH 0–2.2853 highway-legal yearlong; FS 8578 SKYLINE MINE 0–1.955 highway-legal yearlong, 1.955–4.1506 highway-legal 05/16–12/01)
  • FS EDW RoadBasic (live) (FS road inventory (EDW, queried Oct. 19, 2026): FS 8554 begins near Elkhorn; pass segment FS 8554 RADERSBURG PASS MP 1.913–3.059 in layer 1, no open-use designation; an inventory listing is not a motor-vehicle designation)
  • FS EDW Basic Ownership (official; non-FS land at Elkhorn and at the 8554/8546/8578 junction; FS land at the pass)
  • BLM National SMA (limited scale) (federal land-status data, generalized; misses small parcels)
  • MyTopo: Radersburg Pass (USGS GNIS 789324) (secondary rendering of GNIS; pin)
  • onX Offroad: Radersburg Pass Loop (secondary (crowd); rated 2; "Tramway Road" leg unmatched)
  • AGF GPS archive: tracks #5 (July 2, 2017) and #64 (June 23, 2019) (internal AGF record; simplified geometry; both cover FS 8554 from about MP 0 to about MP 1.9 and stop at the FS 8546/8578 junction; neither climbs to the pass; the #64 portion (about MP 1.86–0.05) is published as the partial route line and GPX (Oct. 20, 2026))
  • Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF alerts (read Oct. 14, 2026; fire danger Moderate)
  • Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF: Offices (Butte RD, 1820 Meadowlark, Butte, 406-494-2147)
  • 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. 20, 2026. Out and back on FS 8554: no legal loop is confirmed, so return the way you came. The pass segment's designation appears only in a 2023 MVUM data copy (not FS-hosted), where it closes Oct. 16–Dec. 1: confirm the 2026 MVUM with the Butte Ranger District. AGF's 2017 and 2019 Elkhorn tracks cover FS 8554 from the townsite to the junction (about MP 0–1.9); no AGF track climbs to the pass. The 2/10 is provisional, from secondary sources.

AGF ratings describe normal, dry-condition difficulty. They do not mean a route is legal, open or passable today. Found an error, a closure or a locked gate? Report it or suggest a trail.