Columbine Pass
- 6.7 mi
- round trip
- 947 ft
- climb
- 9,850 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Columbine Pass open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Beartooth Ranger District. It doesn't name Columbine Pass, so check the source for the area it covers (14 listed).
Krueger Pond Wild Horse and Burro Gather Closure Area
Agency closure covering Beartooth Ranger District · Order 01-11-82-27-01 · USFS · Beartooth Ranger District
NFSR #1700 South Plateau Road Closure
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
Pine Grove Campground Closure
Agency closure covering Beartooth Ranger District · Order 01-11-82-26-04 · USFS · Beartooth Ranger District
Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Summer Interim Travel Order and Map and Order # 01-11-00-26-02
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · Order 01-11-00-26-02 · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Winter Interim Travel Order and Map Order Number: #01-11-00-26-01
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Beartooth Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Columbine Pass is a 6.7-mile out-and-back hike in Montana's Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, within the Beartooth Ranger District of Custer Gallatin National Forest. It climbs from about 8,875 feet to about 9,850 feet, with an elevation gain of 947 feet one way. The route is rated hard and is natural-surfaced, with horses allowed and bikes not. The Forest Service manages the land, and the pass sits in designated wilderness, so expect backcountry conditions. The hiking season runs from June 1 to September 30. That window gives the most comfortable conditions for reaching the high point. Lake Columbine and Pinchot Lake are both about 3 miles away, and the Stillwater River offers canoeing about 5 miles off. Hicks Park campground is roughly 9 miles away.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Stillwater River
~20 min drive
17.26-mile out-and-back trail along Stillwater River in Montana with 1,639 ft gain.
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Gorge Bypass
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Slough Creek
~10 min drive
4.36-mile out-and-back trail at Slough Creek, Montana with 695 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Meatrack
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Fish Creek
~5 min drive
5.65-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 817 ft gain.
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Buffalo Divide
~14 min drive
6.65-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,603 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Fourmile
~19 min drive
Fourmile is a 14.85-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 3011 feet of elevation gain.
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Pinchot Lake
~6 min drive
7.21-mile out-and-back trail to Pinchot Lake in Montana with 420 ft gain
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Sheep Creek
~15 min drive
6.65-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,715 ft elevation gain.
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West Fork Stillwater
~6 min drive
10.01-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 421 ft elevation gain.
