Dry Gulch
- 5.3 mi
- round trip
- 1,019 ft
- climb
- 5,685 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Oct
- best months
Is Dry Gulch open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Dry Gulch is a 5.3-mile out-and-back hike on the Forest Service's Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, within the Belt Creek-White Sulphur Springs Ranger District in southwestern Montana. It is a moderate route with an elevation gain of about 1,000 feet, climbing from a low of roughly 4,650 feet to a high of about 5,685 feet. The trail is open year-round, and the Forest Service allows horses and bikes on its natural surface. It is not an accessible trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July and August highs reach about 81°F with lows near 47°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station at a similar elevation. That station sits about 450 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures up top run a little cooler. Logging Creek Campground is about 0.7 mile away. The Sawmill and Pilgrim Creek hikes are within about 3 miles, and the Figure 8 Loop NRT is about 4.3 miles off.
- Logging Creek CgCamping0.7 mi
- SawmillHiking1.7 mi
- Pilgrim CreekHiking3 mi
- Figure 8 Loop NRTHiking4.3 mi
- N FK DEEP CREEKHiking4.7 mi
- MONUMENT RIDGEHiking4.7 mi
- Long CouleeHiking5 mi
- Monument Peak LookoutCamping7.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- SawmillHiking · ~3 min drive
- Figure 8 Loop NRTHiking · ~7 min drive
- MONUMENT RIDGEHiking · ~8 min drive
- Long CouleeHiking · ~9 min drive
- Pilgrim CreekHiking · ~5 min drive
- Parker RidgeHiking · ~16 min drive
- N Fk Deep CreekHiking · ~13 min drive
- N FK DEEP CREEKHiking · ~8 min drive
- Tenderfoot Falls OverlookHiking · ~20 min drive
- STRAWBERRY RIDGEHiking · ~13 min drive
Best time to visit Dry Gulch
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
37° / 16°
Feb
40° / 16°
Mar
46° / 22°
Apr
54° / 27°
May
63° / 35°
Jun
71° / 42°
Jul
81° / 47°
Aug
81° / 47°
Sep
72° / 40°
Oct
58° / 32°
Nov
44° / 24°
Dec
37° / 16°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Neihart 8 Nnw, MT, 11.6 mi away at 5,230 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
