Mount Helena

Directions

Sunset from Summit

The trail is located south of downtown Helena. Drive south on Park Avenue until you see the sign for Mount Helena City Park and Reeder's Village. Drive up through the subdivision on Readers Village Drive to the dirt parking lot.

Trail Quality
There are several trails woven over the mountain.  The primary trails are well maintained.  I think I have been on all the the trails and they offer a variety of difficulty ratings and distances.  Most routes are easy to moderate in difficulty.  The Powerline trail however is basically straight up the mountain and is quite strenuous. 

Overall Impression

Cathedral from the Summit

This is a great trail system simply because it is so close to Helena.  Changing up your route can offer you a different experience so the repeat hike value is high.  The hike can take between 20 minutes and 1 hour and 30 minutes depending on your route and how in shape you are.  I have been using this trail system to train for longer hikes.  The summit of Mount Helena offers great views of Helena and surrounding valley.  Sunrises, sunsets, and the Sleeping Giant are very cool from the top as well.