Cardinal Peak Divide
- 24.4 mi
- round trip
- 2,910 ft
- climb
- 8,467 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Cardinal Peak Divide is a hard out-and-back hike of about 24.4 miles in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, within the Spotted Bear Ranger District of Flathead National Forest in Montana. The Forest Service manages the surrounding land, and the trail's natural surface makes it suitable for horses but not for bikes. It is not an accessible trail. The trip climbs from a low of about 6,681 feet to a high of about 8,467 feet, with a total gain of roughly 2,910 feet. That makes it a serious outing in the wilderness, and the route's length and elevation mean it works best as a single, planned trip rather than a day's detour. Several shorter hikes sit within a few miles, including Youngs Creek and Kid Mtn. at about 2.1 miles, Hahn Cabin at about 2.6 miles and Otter Creek at about 2.8 miles. For paddling, Danaher Creek lies about 8.7 miles away.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
HIKE
Youngs Creek
~4 min drive
Youngs Creek is a 24.95-mile out-and-back hike in Montana with 1989 feet of elevation gain.
HIKE
Hahn Cabin
~4 min drive
3.73-mile out-and-back trail to Hahn Cabin in Montana with 29 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Youngs Danaher Ford
~5 min drive
0.84-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 17 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Kid Mtn.
~4 min drive
8.60-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 3,018 ft gain.
HIKE
Brownstone Creek
~9 min drive
4.71-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,445 ft gain.
HIKE
Wire Ford
~7 min drive
Wire Ford is a 1.08-mile out-and-back trail in Montana.
HIKE
Otter Creek
~5 min drive
10.52-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,957 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Sentinel Mtn.
~14 min drive
3.04-mile out-and-back trail to Sentinel Mtn. in Montana with 1,749 ft gain.
HIKE
Gordon Ford
~8 min drive
Gordon Ford is a 1.63-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 14 feet of elevation gain.
HIKE
Pilot Peak
~5 min drive
9.88-mile out-and-back trail to Pilot Peak summit in Montana with 3,656 ft gain.
Route details
- Distance
- 24.4 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 2,910 ft
- Summit
- 8,371 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Time
- About 9.5 hours
Season
Season: Year-round.
Other routes up Gordon Mountain
Questions about this route
How long is the Cardinal Peak Divide on Gordon Mountain?
About 24.4 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Cardinal Peak Divide?
About 2,910 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Cardinal Peak Divide?
It is rated hard.
How long does the Cardinal Peak Divide take?
About 9.5 hours round trip.
When is the best time for the Cardinal Peak Divide?
Year-round.
How many routes go up Gordon Mountain?
2: Pilot Peak and Cardinal Peak Divide.
Conditions and forecast on Gordon Mountain
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
