Gates Creek
- 9.4 mi
- round trip
- 619 ft
- climb
- 6,137 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Gates Creek open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Rocky Mountain Ranger District.
Camp Creek Fire Trail Closure
Agency alert covering Rocky Mountain Ranger District · Order 01-10- · USFS · Rocky Mountain Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Rocky Mountain Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Gates Creek is a 9.4-mile out-and-back hike in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, part of the Rocky Mountain Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana. The trail rises from a low point of about 5,400 feet to a high of about 6,137 feet, with a total elevation gain of 619 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is rated hard. The trail is natural-surface and not accessible. Horses are allowed, but bikes are not. It is open year-round. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Gibson Dam show July highs around 79°F with lows near 45°F, and temperatures on the trail run cooler than that station's figures because it sits about 1,500 feet lower. Several other hikes start close by, including North Fork Sun Cutacross, Ray Creek and Gates Creek-Moose Creek, all within about 2 miles. Mill Falls Campground is about 9 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Choteau Mountain View RV Campground36 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Gates Creek
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
36° / 12°
5 wet
Feb
36° / 12°
6 wet
Mar
42° / 18°
7 wet
Apr
50° / 25°
7 wet
May
59° / 33°
10 wet
Jun
67° / 39°
10 wet
Jul
79° / 45°
7 wet
Aug
78° / 43°
6 wet
Sep
67° / 36°
6 wet
Oct
54° / 29°
6 wet
Nov
42° / 20°
5 wet
Dec
35° / 13°
5 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gibson Dam, MT, 16.9 mi away at 4,590 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.
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Sulphur Creek
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Gates Creek-Moose Creek
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