Unravel the Scratchgravel Route

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

This is the trail used by the Montana Bicycle Racing Association for the "Unravel the Scratchgravel" mountain bike race. It takes advantage of much of the available singletrack in the area. It's a nice, fun loop to ride! There's one short/steep climb and a singletrack descent that requires intermediate bike skills.

A major advantage of this area is that it is usually the first to dry off in the spring, thus making it a good place to go early on. Dogs are allowed off-leash here as well.

This route is ridden clockwise. Start by riding North on Echo Drive a few hundred feet until you see a cairn on the left side of the road. This indicates the start of the singletrack. The singletrack heads back southeast until it reaches a point that is almost directly across the road from the Echo Lane Parking Lot. Another cairn indicates it's time to make a right turn and head up the hill on doubletrack. From there the route follows the doubletrack road. After descending, you'll encounter another cairn indicating a right turn onto the doubletrack that heads up a very steep hill! Stay to the center if you want to stay on your bike.

Stop and check out the amazing views of Big Sky Country at the top of the hill, then descend down slightly rocky singletrack. There are a couple of tight turns on this descent, but it's fairly short. After the descent you'll turn left onto doubletrack again. The route is flat for a bit, then there is a wide, but sandy descent, and another cairn indicating it's time to turn right and head uphill again. Keep following the doubletrack until you see a cairn on the left side of the trail. This indicates you should make a left turn onto the singletrack. Follow the rolling (fun!) singletrack until it meets a doubletrack road once again at the top of a small hill. A cairn here indicates that you should turn right and head downhill. You'll now be heading back toward the parking lot. One last cairn is located at a fork in the doubletrack trail. Turn left at that intersection and you'll soon be back where you started.

Check out the following web site for some interesting tidbits on the history of this former mining site: deq.mt.gov/abandonedmines/l….