We look forward to seeing you on the MacDonald Pass ski trails, just 15 miles west of Helena, where fourteen kilometers of groomed classic and skate cross country ski trails (map) await your kicking and gliding.
The Nordic ski trails on Mac Pass are open, snow permitting, December through April. To make the most of an often shallow snowpack, the Last Chance Nordic Ski Club, in cooperation with the Helena National Forest, grooms these popular (see MacDonald Pass statistics) cross country ski trails almost daily. As a result, cross country skiing is usually great.
There’s no charge to ski, although skiers are encouraged to join the Club or make a donation to help defray grooming costs.
You’ll find a plowed parking lot on the north side of Highway 12, about one-third of a mile east of the highway summit. Please park considerately and don’t block the gate to Frontier Town. A toilet is located about one kilometer (0.6 miles) down the trail, near where the Access Trail intersects the Microwave Road Trail.
Please do not walk your dog, ride bicycles, or use snowshoes on the trail. These activities churn up the carefully groomed surface and make nordic-style skiing difficult or dangerous (see LCNSC’s Trail Use Guidelines). Thank you for your cooperation.
2017 Trail Grooming Status Ver. 1
Description...| Access Tr. | Routinely groomed for skate & classic |
| Big Pine Tr. | Routinely groomed for skate & classic |
| Haul Rd. Tr. | Routinely groomed for skate & classic |
| Kelly Hump Tr. | Routinely groomed for skate |
| Meadows Cutoff Tr. | Routinely groomed for skate |
| Meadows Loop | Only groomed when there is sufficient snow |
| Microwave Rd. Middle | Routinely groomed for skate & classic |
| Microwave Rd. Upper (to last switchback at Map Way Point 11) | Routinely groomed for skate; sometimes groomed for classic |
| Old Cabin Tr. (below Kelly Hump) | Routinely groomed for skate & classic |
| Old Cabin Tr. (above Kelly Hump) | Routinely groomed for classic only |
| Porcupine Tr. | Routinely groomed for skate & classic |
2017 Trail Grooming Status Ver. 2
Description...| Trail | Skate | Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Access Tr. | X | X |
| Big Pine Tr. | X | X |
| Haul Rd. Tr. | X | X |
| Kelly Hump Tr. | X | |
| Meadows Cutoff Tr. | X | |
| Meadows Loop | Only when sufficient snow | |
| Microwave Rd. Middle | X | X |
| Microwave Rd. Upper (to last switchback at Map Way Point 11) | X | Sometimes |
| Old Cabin Tr. (below Kelly Hump) | X | X |
| Old Cabin Tr. (above Kelly Hump) | X | |
| Porcupine Tr. | X | X |
