Crooked Trail
- 7.1 mi
- round trip
- 459 ft
- climb
- 4,381 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Oct
- best months
Crooked Trail is a 7.1-mile out-and-back hike in Montana, about 2.7 miles from Missoula. The route rises from 3,938 feet to 4,381 feet, a gain of 459 feet, and is rated hard. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced and open to bikes. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Missoula show July highs around 85°F with lows near 52°F, while winter brings highs in the low 30s and regular snow days from December through February. That station sits roughly 960 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. The Crazy Canyon Trailhead is the parking for this route, and the trail is open year-round. The Mo Z Trail and Pengelly Ridge Trail both start about 0.1 mile away, and the Hellgate Ridgeline is about 1.4 miles off. For a picnic, Pattee Canyon Picnic Area is about 2.9 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Granite Peak RV Resort11 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jul–Oct
Best time to visit Crooked Trail
Best months: July–October. 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
34° / 20°
14 wet · 10 snow
Feb
39° / 22°
11 wet · 8 snow
Mar
49° / 27°
13 wet · 6 snow
Apr
57° / 33°
12 wet · 2 snow
May
67° / 41°
13 wet
Jun
73° / 47°
13 wet
Jul
85° / 52°
7 wet
Aug
84° / 51°
7 wet
Sep
73° / 44°
8 wet
Oct
56° / 34°
10 wet · 1 snow
Nov
41° / 26°
12 wet · 6 snow
Dec
33° / 20°
14 wet · 10 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Missoula 2 Ne, MT, 4.4 mi away at 3,420 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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