Cache Creek
- 16.8 mi
- round trip
- 1,135 ft
- climb
- 5,032 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Cache Creek open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Lolo National Forest.
East Fork Big Creek Road & Trail Closure- Superior Ranger District
Agency alert covering Lolo National Forest · Order 26-003- · USFS · Lolo National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Lolo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Cache Creek is a hard hike in the Ninemile Ranger District of Montana's Lolo National Forest, about 17 miles long with an elevation gain of 1,135 feet. The trail is an out-and-back, starting at the Cache Creek Trailhead, which sits at about 3,810 feet and climbs to a high point of about 5,032 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. The route is natural-surfaced and allows both horses and bikes, so it works for riders and pack animals as well as hikers. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Powell, Idaho, show July and August highs around 82°F with lows in the mid-40s, while winter highs stay near freezing. Burdette Creek is about 2 miles away, and South Fork Fish Creek offers canoeing about 2.5 miles off. White Mountain and White Creek Divide are both within about 5 miles.
Local outfitters
- Granite Peak RV Resort27 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Cache Creek
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
32° / 18°
Feb
37° / 18°
Mar
46° / 24°
Apr
53° / 29°
May
64° / 35°
Jun
71° / 42°
Jul
82° / 46°
Aug
82° / 44°
Sep
71° / 37°
Oct
53° / 30°
Nov
38° / 24°
Dec
30° / 18°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Powell, ID, 20.6 mi away at 3,530 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: functoruser, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)PACKER MEADOWS LOOP
~22 min drive
4.56-mile loop in Idaho with 641 ft elevation gain.
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Burdette Creek
~3 min drive
9.67-mile out-and-back trail at Burdette Creek in Montana with 708 ft gain.
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North Fork Granite
~9 min drive
4.64-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,329 ft gain.
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Sally Ridge Trail
~22 min drive
9.14-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,245 ft elevation gain/loss.
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Surveyor Lake
~9 min drive
0.82-mile out-and-back trail to Surveyor Lake in Montana with 92 ft of elevation gain.
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White Mountain
~7 min drive
5.17-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 673 ft gain
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Pilot Knob
~9 min drive
5.37-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,162 ft elevation gain.
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TEEPEE RIDGE
~11 min drive
4.6-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 947 ft elevation gain
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State Line (Granite Peak)
~8 min drive
12.48-mile out-and-back trail to Granite Peak with 775 ft gain
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Lee Creek Interpretive
~15 min drive
3.50-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 398 ft gain.
