Garden Ridge
- 7.0 mi
- round trip
- 1,600 ft
- climb
- 5,870 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Garden Ridge open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Kootenai National Forest. It doesn't name Garden Ridge, so check the source for the area it covers.
Kootenai Flood Event & Inaccessible Areas
Agency closure covering Kootenai National Forest · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
Updated Skillet Fire Area, Road, Trail Closure
Agency alert covering Kootenai National Forest · Order 01-10- · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
Upper Young Creek Road #7202 Closure
Agency alert covering Rexford Ranger District · Order 01-14-01-26-01 · USFS · Rexford Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Kootenai National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Garden Ridge is a 7-mile out-and-back hike in the Rexford Ranger District of Kootenai National Forest in northwest Montana. It starts at Lawrence TH 11, which sits at about 4,440 feet and rises to a high point of about 5,870 feet, a climb of roughly 1,600 feet one way. The route is rated hard, and the Forest Service manages the land. The trail is open from June 1 to October 31, and the parking area at Lawrence TH 11 is the trailhead for the trip. The route is natural-surfaced, and bikes are allowed. The most comfortable time to go is summer and early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 72°F and September highs near 67°F. Winter temperatures at that station drop to around -20°F, so the trail is essentially closed to most of the year. West Branch is about 1.4 miles away, and Parsnip Mountain and Lawrence Mountain are each within about 2.5 miles. Big Creek Baldy Lookout Rental, about 3.7 miles off, offers a place to stay.
Local outfitters
- Kootenai River Campground23 mi away
- Indian Springs Montana27 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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West Branch
~2 min drive
14.75-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 680 ft elevation gain.
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Banfield Mountain
~6 min drive
4.38-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 912 ft elevation gain.
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GARDEN RIDGE SNOMOBILE SPUR
~7 min drive
38.8-mile out-and-back snomobile spur in Montana with 4,043 ft gain/loss
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BIG CREEK BALDY SNOWMOBL LOOP
~9 min drive
7.04-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,011 ft elevation gain/loss
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Parsnip Mountain
~4 min drive
11-mile out-and-back trail to Parsnip Mountain in Montana with 550 ft gain.
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Parsnip Overlook
~12 min drive
1.24-mile out-and-back trail at Parsnip Overlook in Montana
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Pipe Divide
~9 min drive
9.33-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,465 ft elevation gain.
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Banfield Ridge
~9 min drive
5.80-mile out-and-back trail on a ridge in Montana with 289 ft gain.
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Lawrence Mountain
~4 min drive
16.52-mile out-and-back trail to Lawrence Mountain in Montana
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Tom Poole Lake
~12 min drive
0.95-mile out-and-back trail to Tom Poole Lake in Montana with 336 ft of elevation gain.
Route details
- Distance
- 7.0 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 1,600 ft
- Starts at
- LAWRENCE TH 11 (about 5,053 ft)
- Summit
- 5,924 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Time
- About 3 hours
Getting there
Park at LAWRENCE TH 11.
Questions about this route
How long is the Garden Ridge on Garden Ridge?
About 7.0 mi round trip from LAWRENCE TH 11 (about 5,053 ft).
How much elevation gain is on the Garden Ridge?
About 1,600 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Garden Ridge?
It is rated hard.
Where does the Garden Ridge start?
LAWRENCE TH 11 (about 5,053 ft).
How long does the Garden Ridge take?
About 3 hours round trip.
Conditions and forecast on Garden Ridge
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
