Montana · Hiking

Hellgate Canyon

6.1 mi
round trip
1,896 ft
climb
5,154 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Hellgate Canyon is a hard hike in Montana, about a mile from East Missoula on Forest Service land. The route is an out-and-back of roughly 6 miles, with a total elevation gain of about 1,900 feet, taking you from a low point of about 3,200 feet to a high of about 5,150 feet. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows horses, and bikes are not permitted. It is open year-round, so plan for all conditions. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Potomac, which sits about 1,500 feet lower, show July and August highs around 82°F with lows near 40°F. Winter is cold and snowy, with January highs around 30°F and lows near 8°F. Several other routes start close by. Hellgate Ridgeline is about half a mile away, and the Sentinel Climb mountain bike route is about 0.7 miles off. The US West trail and University Mountain Tie are each within a mile. For an overnight stay, Pattee Canyon Picnic Area is about 4 miles away.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Hellgate Canyon

    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

      30° / 8°

      8 wet · 6 snow

    2. Feb

      35° / 9°

      6 wet · 5 snow

    3. Mar

      45° / 17°

      6 wet · 3 snow

    4. Apr

      54° / 24°

      6 wet · 1 snow

    5. May

      64° / 30°

      8 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 38°

      9 wet

    7. Jul

      82° / 41°

      6 wet

    8. Aug

      82° / 39°

      4 wet

    9. Sep

      71° / 32°

      5 wet

    10. Oct

      55° / 23°

      7 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      39° / 16°

      8 wet · 3 snow

    12. Dec

      29° / 9°

      8 wet · 6 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Potomac, MT, 18.9 mi away at 3,690 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

US West trailPhoto: Charles Nadeau from San Mateo, CA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

US West trail

~1 min drive

2.98-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,350 ft elevation gain.

University Mountain TiePhoto: diaper, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

University Mountain Tie

~1 min drive

2.58-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 943 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Crooked Trail

~3 min drive

7.09-mile out-and-back hike in Montana with 459 ft elevation gain.

CRAZY CANYON CUTOFF FPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

CRAZY CANYON CUTOFF F

~4 min drive

1.64-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 996 ft gain and 5,165 ft max elevation.

Canyon River TrailPhoto: Evan-Lovely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Canyon River Trail

~3 min drive

1.3-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 176 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Hellgate Ridgeline

~1 min drive

1.52-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,134 ft elevation gain.

Kim Williams TrailPhoto: Evan-Lovely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Kim Williams Trail

~3 min drive

1.94-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 317 ft elevation gain/loss

HIKE

Trail to the M

~2 min drive

1.48-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,016 ft elevation gain and loss.

Meadow Loop CutoffPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Meadow Loop Cutoff

~5 min drive

0.62-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 153 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

CROOKED TRAIL CUTOFF

~2 min drive

1.76-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 920 ft elevation gain

Route details

Distance
6.1 mi round trip
Climbing
About 1,896 ft
Summit
5,155 ft
Difficulty
Hard
Time
About 3 hours

Season

Season: Year-round.

Other routes up Mount Sentinel

Questions about this route

How long is the Hellgate Canyon on Mount Sentinel?

About 6.1 mi round trip.

How much elevation gain is on the Hellgate Canyon?

About 1,896 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Hellgate Canyon?

It is rated hard.

How long does the Hellgate Canyon take?

About 3 hours round trip.

When is the best time for the Hellgate Canyon?

Year-round.

How many routes go up Mount Sentinel?

2: Hellgate Ridgeline and Hellgate Canyon.

Conditions and forecast on Mount Sentinel

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.