The Whitefish Trail is a non-motorized trail system, and under Montana law that means e-bikes are not allowed on it, pedal assist included, with one new exception: since October 2026, Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are allowed on the new 3 miles of Whitefish Trail on Whitefish Mountain Resort property, and nowhere else on the trail. It is a great place to walk or ride a regular mountain bike. On an e-bike, ride to a trailhead on the paved roads and paths, or take one of the e-bike legal routes on our Where to Ride page: the lake road, the river path and Glacier National Park.
Updated October 23, 2026
Here is where to find the Whitefish Trail map, with the one rule that matters for anyone on an e-bike.
What The Whitefish Trail Is
Whitefish Legacy Partners describes the Whitefish Trail as a regional project to build a loop of more than 55 miles around Whitefish Lake, crossing state, federal and private land. It is shared by hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. The official map, with every trailhead described, is on the partners’ Maps and Conditions page, where they also post trail reports through the season.
The Trailheads
The map’s trailheads are Big Mountain, Reservoir, Holbrook Overlook, Lion Mountain, Skyles, Spencer Mountain, Beaver Lakes, Woods and North Beaver, Lupfer, and Swift Creek and Smith Lake. The Haskill section connects the city to Whitefish Mountain Resort with two trailheads and 5.5 miles of trail.
E-Bikes Are Not Allowed, With One New Exception
The partners’ rules page says it plainly: the Whitefish Trail is a non-motorized system, and under Montana state law e-bikes are not allowed on it, including pedal-assist bikes. Ride to a trailhead, lock the bike, and walk in. Please do not test it; parts of the trail cross private land, and the partners ask every user to respect it.
The exception is new. In October 2026 the partners and Whitefish Mountain Resort opened 3 miles of new Whitefish Trail on resort property, connecting the single-track at the top of Haskill to the resort, and the partners’ e-bike page says Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are allowed on that section. With the throttles disconnected, our rentals assist only while you pedal, up to 20 mph, which makes them Class 1. The partners call it the first, and possibly only, section of the trail approved for e-bikes; the rest of the system, including the Haskill single-track that leads to it, stays closed to them. Check the map on the partners’ e-bike page for exactly where the section begins and ends, and ask us at pickup.
The other rules worth knowing: bikes yield to walkers and both yield to horses, dogs must be under control, stay off the trail when it is muddy, and carry bear spray. Hunting is allowed in the area in the fall, so wear orange from September through November.
Where An E-Bike Can Ride Instead
Whitefish has plenty of riding that welcomes e-bikes, and our Where to Ride page maps each route:
- East Lakeshore Drive, the road along Whitefish Lake.
- The river path and downtown loop, our Tour of Whitefish.
- The Great Northern Rail Trail through Kalispell, and the Gateway to Glacier path from Hungry Horse to the park’s west entrance.
- Glacier National Park, where the park allows e-bikes with motors under 750 watts that assist only while you pedal, on paved roads, unpaved roads and bike paths unless posted, including Going-to-the-Sun Road. Rules and conditions change; check nps.gov. Read are e-bikes allowed in Glacier.
Every rental comes with a phone mount and our turn-by-turn navigation app for our favorite rides. Rent an e-bike in Whitefish.