Cliff Lake
- 2.2 mi
- round trip
- 516 ft
- climb
- 5,930 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Is Cliff Lake 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.
Cliff Lake is an easy out-and-back hike in Montana's Lolo National Forest, within the Superior Ranger District. It covers about 2.2 miles with a one-way elevation gain of 516 feet, climbing from a low point of 5,412 feet to a high of 5,930 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is on natural surface. The most comfortable months for a visit are July and August, when typical averages from a nearby weather station run around 70°F for highs and 51°F for lows, with only about six wet days in each month. Winter is much colder, with January highs near 28°F. The trail is open year-round. Diamond Lake sits just 0.1 mile away, and Dry Fork is about 1.3 miles off. For camping, Heller Creek is roughly 6 miles away, and Sloway Campground is about 9 miles away.
- Diamond LakeHiking0.1 mi
- Dry ForkHiking1.3 mi
- SUNSET CREEKHiking2.9 mi
- Dry CreekHiking3 mi
- Ann ArborHiking3.4 mi
- Lost LakeHiking3.7 mi
- Heller CreekCamping6.2 mi
- Sloway CgCamping9.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Dry ForkHiking · ~2 min drive
- Ann ArborHiking · ~6 min drive
- Simmons Meadow TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
- Wahoo-Indian DivideHiking · ~17 min drive
- SUNSET CREEKHiking · ~5 min drive
- Simmons Creek TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
- Moore Lake -- SouthHiking · ~7 min drive
- Washout Point TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
- Three Lakes DivideHiking · ~11 min drive
- Bonanza LakesHiking · ~8 min drive
Best time to visit Cliff Lake
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, 30.7 mi away at 6,028 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
