Dearborn Alternate
- 4.4 mi
- round trip
- 136 ft
- climb
- 5,335 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Oct
- best months
Is Dearborn Alternate open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Rocky Mountain Ranger District.
Camp Creek Fire Trail Closure
Agency alert covering Rocky Mountain Ranger District · Order 01-10- · USFS · Rocky Mountain Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Rocky Mountain Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Dearborn Alternate is a 4.4-mile out-and-back hike in the Scapegoat Wilderness, part of the Rocky Mountain Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana. The trail rises about 136 feet from a low point of 5,189 feet to a high of 5,335 feet, and it is rated moderate. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is natural-surfaced, with horses allowed and bikes not. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Rogers Pass, about 15 miles away, show July and August highs around 81°F with lows near 50°F, while winter highs stay in the mid-30s. The trail is open year-round. Other hikes close by include Whitetail Creek, about 2.4 miles away, and Dearborn River, about 2.5 miles away. South Fork Whitetail Creek and Crow Creek Trail are within about 4 miles.
Local outfitters
- Choteau Mountain View RV Campground44 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Oct
Best time to visit Dearborn Alternate
Best months: May–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
36° / 17°
7 wet
Feb
37° / 16°
7 wet
Mar
45° / 23°
8 wet
Apr
53° / 30°
8 wet
May
62° / 38°
10 wet
Jun
71° / 45°
10 wet
Jul
81° / 51°
7 wet
Aug
81° / 49°
6 wet
Sep
70° / 41°
6 wet
Oct
55° / 32°
7 wet
Nov
42° / 25°
6 wet
Dec
34° / 18°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Rogers Pass 9 Nne, MT, 15 mi away at 4,200 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.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Lone Mountain Trail
~17 min drive
9.96-mile out-and-back hike in Montana with 1,061 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Crow Creek Trail
~7 min drive
4.50-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 565 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Bighorn Lake
~8 min drive
2.96-mile out-and-back trail to Bighorn Lake in Montana with 787 ft gain.
HIKE
Whitetail Creek
~4 min drive
13.74-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,478 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Middle Fork Trail
~11 min drive
5.54-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 646 ft gain.
HIKE
Eastside Falls Creek
~9 min drive
8.82-mile out-and-back trail on Falls Creek in Montana.
HIKE
Dearborn River
~4 min drive
11.81-mile out-and-back trail on the Dearborn River in Montana.
HIKE
Switchback Hill Trail
~13 min drive
3.61-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 614 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Falls Creek Low Water
~9 min drive
2.47-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 173 ft gain.
HIKE
South Fork Whitetail Creek
~6 min drive
4.80-mile out-and-back trail on South Fork Whitetail Creek in Montana with 653 ft of elevation gain.
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