Sandstone Ridge

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

Features Views

From Philipsburg, take State Rd #348 13 miles east and turn right onto Rock Creek Rd #102. Follow Rock Creek Road about 9 miles to the trailhead. If you reach Hogback Homestead, you have gone 1 mile too far.. There is a pullout for parking on the opposite side of the road from the trailhead.

Sandstone Ridge is a rugged and difficult trail to ride on a mountain bike. Those that choose to ride this will be rewarded with a super tough workout, amazing views and an atmosphere of exploration and solitude. This trail is better ridden as a fast and fun downhill, however there is no easy way to the top, with the easiest way being via this very trail. Going uphill, much of the trail is rideable, but it's just so steep, you should expect there to be plenty of hike-a-bike.

The trail has an initial elevation gain of 2200 feet in the first 3 miles, which should hopefully give you a good idea of how steep it is. For this first part the trail switchbacks through some large open meadows which can provide awesome views of the valley and surrounding mountains. After this the gradients ease out more, however the difficulty of the trail never quite lets up however, and even on some of the 'flat' sections, it can still be rocky and slow with some sections of trail even a little hard to follow.

Expect a full out and back of this trail to be an all day activity, with average speeds closer to that of hiking than typical mountain biking on easier trails. Completing a loop is possible by connecting onto Hogback Ridge Trail and using that as a descent. Be warned that this trail is slightly steeper and more difficult than Sandstone Ridge and this would be a challenging undertaking.