Montana · Hiking

East Foothill

East FoothillPhoto: lumachrome, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
13.3 mi
round trip
508 ft
climb
5,085 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jul–Sep
best months

Is East Foothill open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 5 alerts for Flathead National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Flathead National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

East Foothill is a 13.3-mile out-and-back hike in the Swan Lake Ranger District of Flathead National Forest in western Montana. The trail rises from a low point of 4,465 feet to a high of 5,085 feet, a total gain of 508 feet, and is rated hard. The trailhead is East Foothill TH #192, and the Forest Service manages the land. The route is natural-surface and carries a Forest Service trail classification that allows both horses and bikes, so riders and riders on horseback can plan this trip with that in mind. It works well as a base for exploring the cluster of trails and campsites around Holland Lake. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Lindbergh Lake weather station show July and August highs near 78°F with lows around 50°F and only about seven wet days a month. That station sits roughly 765 feet lower than the hike's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. Holland Lookout lies just 0.1 mile from the trailhead, and Holland Lake Campground and Owl Creek Cabin are both within a mile. The Holland-Sapphire hike starts about 1.4 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jul–Sep

    Best time to visit East Foothill

    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

      31° / 16°

      19 wet · 17 snow

    2. Feb

      34° / 17°

      16 wet · 14 snow

    3. Mar

      42° / 23°

      16 wet · 11 snow

    4. Apr

      50° / 30°

      14 wet · 6 snow

    5. May

      60° / 38°

      14 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      68° / 45°

      13 wet

    7. Jul

      78° / 50°

      7 wet

    8. Aug

      78° / 49°

      7 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 41°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      51° / 32°

      12 wet · 3 snow

    11. Nov

      38° / 24°

      16 wet · 10 snow

    12. Dec

      29° / 16°

      19 wet · 16 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lindbergh Lake, MT, 6.8 mi away at 4,320 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.