Montana · Hiking · Bob Marshall Wilderness

East Side South Fork

12.8 mi
one way
502 ft
climb
5,170 ft
high point
Point to point
route
May–Sep
best months

Caution at last check

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 23 h ago

Is East Side South Fork 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 Side South Fork is a 12.8-mile point-to-point hike in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, on the Spotted Bear Ranger District of Flathead National Forest in northwest Montana. The trail is managed by the Forest Service, and the route gains about 502 feet from a low of about 4,638 feet to a high of about 5,170 feet. The trail is rated hard, and the climb is one way. It is a natural-surface route, and horses are allowed, but bikes are not. The trail is not accessible. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the Gibson Dam weather station, about 23.5 miles away, show July highs near 79°F and lows around 45°F, with September cooling to highs near 67°F. Winter highs there typically sit in the mid-30s. Tillson - Shale is just 0.1 mile away, and Sandstone Creek is about half a mile off. Brownstone Creek and Butcher Mtn. are each within about 1.5 miles.

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit East Side South Fork

    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.

    1. Jan

      36° / 12°

      5 wet

    2. Feb

      36° / 12°

      6 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 18°

      7 wet

    4. Apr

      50° / 25°

      7 wet

    5. May

      59° / 33°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      67° / 39°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      79° / 45°

      7 wet

    8. Aug

      78° / 43°

      6 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 36°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 29°

      6 wet

    11. Nov

      42° / 20°

      5 wet

    12. Dec

      35° / 13°

      5 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gibson Dam, MT, 23.5 mi away at 4,590 ft. The station sits about 600 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.