The Rodney Ridge area offers a bit more than 10 miles of trails across the ten named trails. Like all the rest of the south hills system, there are also a few unnamed and perhaps unauthorized trails as well. You can access this area from at least 5 different access points. Each access point provides a very different experience. The Rodney Ridge area has abundant wildflower, butterfly, and birdlife during the nicer months. It also offers a few trails that stay cooler and damper well into the summer.
Jump directly to trail info using these links
Don’t Fence Me In | Pinchot | Rent Money | Rodney Ridge | Rodney Meadow | Roger Fuchs
Top of the World | TR | Upper DeFord Univeral Access | Waterline
Access to Rodney Ridge area trails
Old Shooting Range Trailhead
The Old Shooting Range trailhead is the main access point for the Rodney Ridge area. Several trails can be accessed from this parking area, including three trails that are part of the Mount Ascension trail system. The main trail leading from this trailhead is the Rodney Meadow trail which zig-zags up to meet with the Rodney Ridge, TR, and Roger Fuchs trails. The Upper DeFord Universally Accessible Trail also leads off from here. Access to Oro y plata, Lower DeFord, Archery Range, and Entertainment trails can be gained here as well. Lots of parking, vault toilets, handicapped parking, and easy access to lots of trails makes this a poplar place to start. Oro y plata is a bikes only trail and is not mapped or reviewed on this site.
Location: ///worksheet.warmly.revisiting
Rodney/Sparta Street Trailhead
The Rodney Street Trailhead is also called the Sparta Street Trailhead by some folks. Rodney and Sparta streets converge at the trailhead parking area. The sole trail leading from this trailhead to the rise is the Rodney Ridge trail. About .75 miles (1.2k) in, it intersects the Don’t Fence Me In trail. If you stay left, the Ridge trail takes into the Rodney Meadow area above the Old Shooting Range Trailhead where you can access all the other trails in that area. The Rodney Ridge Trail can be walked a couple of different ways- one of the ways sticks (more or less) to single tracks, the other way might use an unauthorized trail, but it more closely follows the actual ridge line. Both ways intersect different spots on the Rent Money trail. If you follow Rent Money up to Top of the World trail, you’ve walked the whole ridge.
Location: ///probe.bolts.tickle
Waterline Trailhead
The Waterline trail is cool and damp most of the year. The main trailhead is just a bit outside the Helena City Limits up Orofino Gulch Drive. It parallels Orofino, so traffic noise can be quite noticeable. The Don’t Fence Me In trail climbs up to the left about .1 mile (.16k) up the trail, just past the switchbacks. About a half mile (.8k) in, it intersects the Rodney Meadow trail and an additional .6 mile (.95k) Waterline runs into the TR trail. Waterline continues up Orofino Gulch for another .8 mile (1.2k) where it crosses the road and and runs for another .3 miles (.5k). Once it ends at Orofino Road, you can cross the road and head up the Barking Dog trail.
Location: ///save.markers.extra
Acropolis Crest Trail Access Point
This is a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” trailhead. The Parking area is a paved area between two sections of one-way traffic on Cruse Ave. just uphill from the Lewis and Clark Public Library. The parking area shares the space with a couple of large recycling bins. Not one of our more attractive access points, but the trails are lovely. The Acropolis Crest Trails join up with Sparta Street and leads you to the Rodney Street Trailhead. The Acropolis Crest trail rises quickly to 250 feet in .5 miles (.6k). Wonderful views of Helena’s downtown area, street walking to the Sparta/Rodney trailhead and an unauthorized access trail to the Waterline await you at the top.
Location: ///mixing.feuds.happens
TR Trail Access Point
This is yet another “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” trail access point. There really is no parking area to speak of, just a slight bulge in Orofino Road. TR access point gets you very quickly to the Waterline trail, or about .65 miles in, it takes connects with Pinchot. A bit further on and TR terminates in the Rodney Meadow area. Cooler and damper than east and south facing trails, TR holds it flowers and birds into July.
Location: ///counts.searches.listens
Rodney Ridge Area Trails
All trail distances are approximate and reported one-way
Rodney Ridge trail ~1.5 miles (2.3k)
The Rodney Ridge Trail begins at the Sparta/Rodney St. Trailhead. The map shown is only the section that goes from the trailhead to Rent Money. The full Ridge Trail encompasses three named sections, each section is listed on this site as a separate trail. The full length of the Ridge trail ends at Top of the World which takes 2.7 miles (one-way). To do the full length of Rodney Ridge, start at Sparta/Rodney and take this trail to Rent Money and then continue up Top of the World. You will be rewarded with good workout, terrific views, a wide variety of habitats, and nice long walk. Lots of fire mitigation work has been done along the upper reaches of the Ridge and, as a result, lots of wildflowers are present.
Main access point: Rodney/Sparta trailhead.
Cross trails: Don’t Fence Me In; Rodney Meadow; T.R. Trail; Roger Fuchs; merges into Rent Money; Pinchot; Merges into Top of The World
Rodney Meadow trail ~.9 miles (1.4k)
The Rodney Meadow trail begins at the Old Shooting Range trailhead and zig and zags up a grassy hillside before opening up to the meadow. The meadow area has several trails crossing through it and, from here, you can go anywhere in the Rodney rise area. The Meadow trail continues across and drops down a shaded draw, eventually terminating at the Waterline Trail. The Waterline side of the Meadow trail is cooler and damper much longer into the warm season. This area is popular with runners, bikers, and walkers.
Main access point: Old Shooting Range trailhead.
Cross trails: Rodney Ridge; T.R. Trail; terminates at Waterline.
Don’t Fence Me In trail ~.63 miles (1k)
Don’t Fence Me In starts near a rise along the Rodney Ridge trail and descends through rocky and forested habitat until it terminates at the Waterline Trail. This trail gently zigs, then zags along a fairly steep area complete with rocky outcroppings both on and off of the trail. The trail is generally west facing, so it is shaded and cool on warm summer mornings and not too bad on hot summer afternoons due to the tree cover. Lots of bird life in the warmer months.
Main access points: Rodney/Sparta trailhead, or Waterline north trailhead.
Cross trails: None, connects Rodney Ridge to Waterline
Waterline trail ~2.3 miles (3.6k)
Waterline has two sections. The longer 2-mile section (3.1k) is shaded and nearly flat if you start from the west end. At the east end, there are a few quick switchbacks that take you up a good bit of elevation before leveling out. There is also a short section of the trail across Arastra Gulch Road. this .3 mile section (.5k) is the coolest and wettest trail in the network in my opinion. Moose are often seen in the creek in the springtime and early summer- so be very aware. Waterline boasts a wide variety of wildflowers and birds through the summer.
Main access point: Waterline north, just outside the City Limits on Oro Fino Rd., Waterline south, just past Arastra Gulch, and T.R. trailhead, also on Oro Fino Rd.
Cross trails: Don’t Fence Me In; Rodney Meadows; T.R. Trail; Arastra Gulch Rd., terminates across Oro Fino Gulch Drive from Barking Dog.
TR trail ~1.06 miles (1.6k)
The TR Trail connects Waterline to the rest of the trails in the Rodney rise area. It is named after Teddy Roosevelt, who was a Nobel Prize winner and was the President who created the most new national parks. TR (the man) established roughly 230 million acres of public land during his presidency including 5 national parks and the first 18 national monuments in the US National Park System. Our national forest, the Lewis and Clark National Forest, was established in 1897 by William McKinley. T.R. (the trail) is a cool, damp track that meanders nicely between Orofino Gulch Rd. and the Rodney Meadow.
Main access point: T.R trailhead (Oro Fino Rd.) or Old Shooting Range trailhead (Davis Gulch Rd.)
Cross trails: Pinchot
Pinchot trail ~.65 miles (1k)
Pinchot
The Pinchot trail starts at a small saddle above the Rodney meadow area where it branches off from the TR Trail. Generally steep and shaded, this trail gets the blood pumping and rewards you with lots of flowers and birds. Pinchot terminates at a higher saddle where it intersects Top of the World and Rent Money (both of which are part of the full Rodney Ridge trail). The trail is named for Gifford Pinchot, first chief of the US Forest Service. Pinchot (the man) was a staunch conservationist but believed as well that the needs of people for recreation, resource management, and power generation needed to be balanced. Pinchot (the trail) has both great open ponderosa forest habitat and a tighter mixed conifer glade as it nears its terminus.
Main access point: Old Shooting Range trailhead or T.R. trailhead on Oro Fino Rd.
Cross trails: None, connects T.R. Trail to Rent Money/Top of The World.
Rent Money trail ~.8 miles (1.3k)
Rent Money is a trail that winds and snakes through a draw that is filled with flowers and birds during the warmer months. Rent Money has several steeply banked curves that clearly indicate it is a well-loved downhill trail for bikers. For trail walkers, Rent Money unfolds like a slow motion roller coaster ride. Walkers and runners are encouraged to use this trail early or later in the day when bike traffic is lowest, or keep an ear out for the downhill bikers enjoying themselves. The lower reaches, near the intersection with Roger Fuchs trail is one of the areas where Mountain Bluebirds are seen early in the spring.
Main access point: Old Shooting Range trailhead
Cross trails: Roger Fuchs
Roger Fuchs trail ~.44 miles (.7k)
Roger Fuchs trail is another downhill biking trail. It drops comfortably down to Dry Gulch road, where you can turn left and go down to a small access point to join up with the DeFord Universally Accessible Trail or a couple of other biking only trails. From the Old Shooting Range trailhead you can make a nice loop by going Rodney Meadow to Roger Fuchs to the Upper Deford Universal Access Trail and back to the trailhead.
Main access point: Old Shooting Range trailhead
Cross trails: None, connects Rent Money/Rodney Ridge to Dry Gulch Road.
Top of the World trail ~.4 miles (.7k)
Top of the World trail is the last leg of the Rodney Ridge trail and provides a terrific view of the surrounding area in every direction. The trail has a few short, steep, and rocky sections that make it very enjoyable to walk. At nearly 11% grade in a couple areas, this one is a bit of a heart pumper. The map on this site shows a slightly longer version of the trail- all the way to a trail post that marks the edge of a parcel of private land. The little “pointy spot” at the middle left of the trail line is the actual top. Totally worth the trip. Early season butterflies and lots of birds and wildflowers can be seen or heard.
Main access point: Old Shooting Range trailhead
Cross trails: None, but well worth the effort.
Upper DeFord Universal Access trail ~.4 miles (.65k)
Upper DeFord UAT has a heavily compacted surface and when it is dry it seems very solid and quite accessible for wheelchairs. Accessibility is impacted by snow and possibly by rain. This trail has very good accessibility during the warmer months. Rising from the Old Shooting Range trailhead parking area, this trail gently meanders uphill about .4 miles (.64k) along Davis Gulch Road. With an accessible restroom and ample parking at the trailhead, this is a nice trail to stroll or roll. The total elevation gain is about 85 feet- about a 4% grade. Lots of birds, butterflies, and flowers.
Main access point: Old Shooting Range trailhead
Cross trails: Just a stub of a trail that leads to Entertainment trail across Davis Gulch Road. Terminates near two bike specific trails just uphill from the UAT.
