Big Log Gulch
- 19.0 mi
- round trip
- 1,467 ft
- climb
- 6,516 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Big Log Gulch open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Big Log Gulch is a hard hike in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, part of the Helena Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a natural-surface out-and-back that climbs from about 4,240 feet to about 6,516 feet over roughly 19 miles. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Adel, which sits about 1,500 feet lower, show July and August highs around 78°F with lows in the mid-40s. That station's figures are only a guide, since temperatures on the trail run cooler. The route is not accessible, and horses are allowed. Willow Creek is about 1.5 miles away, and Porcupine Creek and Mann Gulch are each about 4.5 miles off. For an overnight base, Coulter Campground is about 5.5 miles away.
Local outfitters
- MTBCity24 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Big Log Gulch
Best months: May–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
36° / 14°
Feb
37° / 14°
Mar
43° / 21°
Apr
50° / 27°
May
58° / 35°
Jun
67° / 42°
Jul
78° / 47°
Aug
78° / 46°
Sep
68° / 39°
Oct
53° / 31°
Nov
42° / 23°
Dec
33° / 15°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Adel, MT, 9.8 mi away at 5,017 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Monica's Dad, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Mann Gulch
~8 min drive
4.45-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,765 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Monica's Dad, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Meriwether Canyon
~8 min drive
12.52-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 5,099 ft elevation gain.
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Big Log Gulch
~12 min drive
4.63-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 378 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Grouse Ridge Divide
~14 min drive
3.85-mile out-and-back trail on Grouse Ridge Divide in Montana with 223 ft gain.
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Willow Creek
~3 min drive
20.03-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,370 ft gain.
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Upper Log Gulch Trail
~12 min drive
0.89-mile out-and-back hike in Montana with 352 ft elevation gain.
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Porcupine Creek
~7 min drive
3.00-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 370 ft gain.
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Beartrap
~20 min drive
Beartrap is an 8.76-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,106 feet of elevation gain.
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Lower Log Gulch Trail
~13 min drive
1.71-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 373 ft of elevation gain.
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Missouri River Canyon
~10 min drive
10.63-mile out-and-back trail in Missouri River Canyon, Montana with 1,531 ft gain.
