Bear Creek
- 8.6 mi
- round trip
- 3,484 ft
- climb
- 6,409 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Is Bear Creek open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Kootenai National Forest. It doesn't name Bear Creek, so check the source for the area it covers.
Kootenai Flood Event & Inaccessible Areas
Agency closure covering Kootenai National Forest · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
Updated Skillet Fire Area, Road, Trail Closure
Agency alert covering Kootenai National Forest · Order 01-10- · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Kootenai National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Bear Creek is a hard, 8.6-mile out-and-back hike in Montana's Kootenai National Forest, within the Cabinet Ranger District. The trail climbs from a low of about 4,200 feet to a high of roughly 6,400 feet, and the Forest Service lists it as a natural-surface route that allows bikes but is not accessible. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. A nearby weather station at Mullan Pass records typical July and August highs around 70°F with lows in the low 50s and only about six wet days a month, while winter highs sit in the upper 20s. The Bear Creek Trailhead (855) is the parking point, and the trail is open from June 1 through October 31. The Vermilion River, a canoeing route, lies about 1.3 miles away, and the Grouse Creek and Spring Creek hikes are each about 1.9 miles off. Willow Creek Campground, about 2.5 miles away, is the closest place to camp.
- Vermilion RiverCanoeing1.3 mi
- Grouse CreekHiking1.9 mi
- Spring CreekHiking1.9 mi
- Grouse RidgeHiking2.3 mi
- Willow Creek CampgroundCamping2.5 mi
- Sylvan Lake CampgroundCamping5.7 mi
- East Fisher CreekCanoeing7.2 mi
- Fishtrap Lake CgCamping7.3 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Grouse CreekHiking · ~3 min drive
- Spring CreekHiking · ~3 min drive
- West Fork CataractHiking · ~8 min drive
- West Fork Canyon CreekHiking · ~12 min drive
- Moose PeakHiking · ~5 min drive
- Grouse RidgeHiking · ~4 min drive
- Cougar PeakHiking · ~13 min drive
- 20 ODD PEAKHiking · ~18 min drive
- Elk MountainHiking · ~7 min drive
- Water HillHiking · ~6 min drive
Best time to visit Bear Creek
Best months: July–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
28° / 19°
19 wet
Feb
28° / 19°
17 wet
Mar
34° / 22°
19 wet
Apr
40° / 27°
17 wet
May
50° / 36°
15 wet
Jun
58° / 42°
13 wet
Jul
70° / 52°
6 wet
Aug
69° / 51°
6 wet
Sep
59° / 44°
8 wet
Oct
44° / 32°
13 wet
Nov
32° / 23°
17 wet
Dec
27° / 18°
18 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mullan Pass Vor/Dme, ID, 30.5 mi away at 6,028 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
