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MTMontana rankings

Towns with the most trails in Montana

Ranked by miles of mapped hiking and walking trails per square mile of town. 16 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Shelby
Montana · Most trails

Where Shelby lands: #3 of 16

1.8 mi / sq mi · Visit Shelby →

Helena 1 Helena 4.3 mi / sq mi Trail miles 74.6 mi Red Lodge 2 Red Lodge 2.2 mi / sq mi Trail miles 5.8 mi Shelby 3 Shelby 1.8 mi / sq mi Trail miles 10.6 mi
#TownTrail miles per sq miTrail milesParks & preserves
1 Helena Helena33,639 people 4.3 mi / sq mi 74.6 mi 44
2 Red Lodge Red Lodge2,502 people 2.2 mi / sq mi 5.8 mi 4
3 Shelby Shelby3,216 people 1.8 mi / sq mi 10.6 mi 5
4 Polson Polson5,428 people 1.6 mi / sq mi 7.6 mi 8
5 Columbia Falls Columbia Falls5,615 people 1.4 mi / sq mi 3.3 mi 1
6 Map of Helena Valley West Central Helena Valley West Central8,056 people 1.4 mi / sq mi 36.1 mi 5
7 Map of Kalispell Kalispell28,504 people 0.9 mi / sq mi 12.3 mi 29
8 Conrad Conrad2,618 people 0.9 mi / sq mi 1.2 mi 3
9 Billings Billings119,434 people 0.8 mi / sq mi 38.9 mi 76
10 Livingston Livingston8,780 people 0.8 mi / sq mi 5.1 mi 7
11 Map of Cut Bank Cut Bank3,028 people 0.8 mi / sq mi 1.0 mi 1
12 Deer Lodge Deer Lodge3,021 people 0.8 mi / sq mi 1.2 mi 3
13 Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Anaconda-Deer Lodge County9,597 people 0.6 mi / sq mi 409.4 mi 17
14 Great Falls Great Falls60,329 people 0.5 mi / sq mi 11.7 mi 59
15 Bigfork Bigfork5,565 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 15.3 mi 3
16 Map of Helena Valley Northwest Helena Valley Northwest5,183 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 3.6 mi 0

How this ranking works

We rank every town by miles of mapped hiking and walking trails per square mile of town. Paths, bridleways, woods roads and footways in parks count; sidewalks don't. Towns need at least a mile of trail to be ranked. Trails come from OpenStreetMap, so a well-mapped town can edge out an equally trail-rich one that's mapped less thoroughly. The town with the highest figure ranks #1.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Trails, streets and parks: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Conserved land: USGS PAD-US. Measured within each town's Census boundary. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

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