Montana · Hiking · Near Emigrant

Chestnut Mountain

Chestnut MountainPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
14.5 mi
round trip
1,256 ft
climb
7,644 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jul–Sep
best months

Is Chestnut Mountain open right now?

Closure reported

The Forest Service lists a closure that covers Chestnut Mountain.

As of · Source: USFS · Bozeman Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Chestnut Mountain is a hard hike of about 14.5 miles on the Bozeman Ranger District of Custer Gallatin National Forest in Montana. The trail is an out-and-back with a high point of 7,644 feet and a low of 5,250 feet, and it gains about 1,256 feet one way. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail's natural surface allows horses and bikes. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Big Sky run to highs around 78°F in July, and that station sits about 1,050 feet lower than the summit, so temperatures up high run cooler. Several destinations lie within a short drive. The Main Area and Frog Rock climbing areas and the East Crags Trail are each about a mile away, and Trail Creek Cabin is about 5 miles off.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Bear Canyon Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 3.0 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Blacksmith Italian

    Restaurant

    Open after 6

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Emigrant

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jul–Sep

    Best time to visit Chestnut Mountain

    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.

    1. Jan

      30° / 9°

      13 wet

    2. Feb

      34° / 9°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 17°

      12 wet

    4. Apr

      48° / 23°

      11 wet

    5. May

      58° / 30°

      14 wet

    6. Jun

      67° / 36°

      14 wet

    7. Jul

      78° / 41°

      11 wet

    8. Aug

      77° / 39°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 33°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      53° / 25°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      37° / 16°

      11 wet

    12. Dec

      27° / 9°

      14 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Big Sky 2wnw, MT, 32 mi away at 6,590 ft. The station sits about 1,100 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.

    Closures we've recorded since August 2026

    • Chestnut Mountain Trail Bicycle and Stock Restriction Order and Map

      Bozeman Ranger District · Order dated April 15, 2011; seen Aug 23, 2026, no lift recorded · Forest Service

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Frog RockPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Frog Rock

~2 min drive

1.84-mile out-and-back trail with 63 ft gain in Montana.

MoonshinePhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Moonshine

~5 min drive

4.54-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,089 ft gain.

New World GulchPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

New World Gulch

~6 min drive

11.04-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,025 ft gain.

Bridger FoothillsPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Bridger Foothills

~13 min drive

12.5-mile out-and-back trail in Montana's Bridger Foothills with 2,924 ft of elevation gain.

East Crags TrailPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

East Crags Trail

~2 min drive

0.94-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 554 ft elevation gain.

Kirk HillPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Kirk Hill

~15 min drive

4.00-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 769 ft elevation gain.

Leverich CanyonPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Leverich Canyon

~13 min drive

4.98-mile loop trail in Leverich Canyon, Montana with 1,098 ft elevation gain.

Rocky CanyonPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Rocky Canyon

~2 min drive

2.47-mile out-and-back trail in Rocky Canyon, Montana with 338 ft gain.

Sypes CanyonPhoto: Carly Lesser & Art Drauglis from Washington, DC, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sypes Canyon

~16 min drive

6.39-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,501 ft gain.

HIKE

Bozeman Creek

~11 min drive

20.19-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,415 ft gain.

Route details

Distance
14.5 mi round trip
Climbing
About 1,256 ft
Starts at
CHESTNUT (about 7,048 ft)
Summit
7,683 ft
Difficulty
Hard
Time
About 5.5 hours

Getting there

Park at CHESTNUT.

Season

Season: Year-round.

Questions about this route

How long is the Chestnut Mountain on Chestnut Mountain?

About 14.5 mi round trip from CHESTNUT (about 7,048 ft).

How much elevation gain is on the Chestnut Mountain?

About 1,256 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Chestnut Mountain?

It is rated hard.

Where does the Chestnut Mountain start?

CHESTNUT (about 7,048 ft).

How long does the Chestnut Mountain take?

About 5.5 hours round trip.

When is the best time for the Chestnut Mountain?

Year-round.

Conditions and forecast on Chestnut 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.