Dry Fork Highwater Route
- 1.4 mi
- round trip
- 92 ft
- climb
- 5,229 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Dry Fork Highwater Route 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.
Dry Fork Highwater Route is a short, easy hike in the Scapegoat Wilderness, part of the Seeley Lake Ranger District of Lolo National Forest in Montana. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is about 1.4 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 92 feet. It is an out-and-back route that starts and ends at roughly 5,130 feet, with the high point at about 5,229 feet. The trail is natural-surface and not accessible. Horses are allowed, but bikes are not. That makes it a good choice for riders on horseback or for a short walk on foot. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Lincoln show July and August highs around 81°F with lows in the low 40s, while winter highs stay near freezing. Corral Cutoff lies about 1.4 miles away, and Old North Fork 3 (Cabin Grade) and Dry Fork are each about 1.7 miles off. Paddlers can reach the North Fork Blackfoot River about 4.9 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Dry Fork Highwater Route
Best months: May–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
32° / 12°
9 wet
Feb
35° / 15°
8 wet
Mar
44° / 22°
9 wet
Apr
53° / 27°
9 wet
May
63° / 33°
11 wet
Jun
71° / 40°
12 wet
Jul
81° / 44°
8 wet
Aug
81° / 42°
7 wet
Sep
70° / 35°
7 wet
Oct
54° / 29°
8 wet
Nov
39° / 20°
8 wet
Dec
30° / 13°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lincoln Rs, MT, 21.9 mi away at 4,575 ft. The station sits about 700 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
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Corral Cutoff
~2 min drive
0.88-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 41 ft of elevation gain.
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Dry Fork
~3 min drive
Dry Fork is a 16.63-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 487 feet of elevation gain.
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Canyon Point
~7 min drive
5.10-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,369 ft of elevation gain.
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Old North Fork 3 (Cabin Grade)
~3 min drive
0.72-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 331 ft elevation gain.
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Hobnail Tom
~3 min drive
42.29-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 3,238 ft elevation gain.
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Canyon Lake
~10 min drive
3.60-mile out-and-back trail to Canyon Lake in Montana with 343 ft gain.
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Old North Fork 2
~3 min drive
1.43-mile out-and-back trail with 40 ft gain in Montana.
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Falls Point
~3 min drive
5.37-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,028 ft elevation gain.
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Mcdonnell Meadows
~12 min drive
3.40-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 939 ft gain.
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Falls Point Cutacross
~3 min drive
2.18-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 530 ft elevation gain and loss.
