Montana · Hiking · Near Emigrant

Crescent Lake

Crescent LakePhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
2.7 mi
round trip
148 ft
climb
6,882 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jul–Sep
best months

Caution at last check

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is marginal · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 19 h ago

Is Crescent Lake open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Bozeman Ranger District. It doesn't name Crescent Lake, so check the source for the area it covers (17 listed).

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

Crescent Lake is an easy hike of about 2.7 miles on a natural-surface trail in the Bozeman Ranger District of Custer Gallatin National Forest in Montana. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is an out-and-back that gains about 148 feet in elevation, from a low of about 6,733 feet to a high of about 6,882 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Big Sky show July highs around 78°F with lows near 41°F, while winter highs stay in the 20s and 30s. The trail is open to both horses and bikes. Black Crescent and the Blackmore mountain biking trailhead sit about 0.1 mile away, and the Upper Westshore Loop is about 0.3 mile off. For camping, the Fr 62 Lower Hyalite Creek Road 026e campground is about 0.6 mile away.

Around this trail

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

    Hyalite Below Dam Camping

    Campground

    Campground · 0.4 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 Crescent 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.

    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, 22 mi away at 6,590 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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