Montana · Hiking · Near Emigrant

History Rock

10.3 mi
round trip
2,695 ft
climb
7,977 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jul–Sep
best months

Is History Rock open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Bozeman Ranger District. It doesn't name History Rock, so check the source for the area it covers (16 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Bozeman Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

History Rock is a hard hike on the Bozeman Ranger District of Custer Gallatin National Forest in Montana, managed by the Forest Service. The out-and-back route is about 10 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of roughly 2,700 feet from a low of about 6,500 feet to a high near 8,000 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Big Sky, about 21 miles away, put July highs near 78°F with lows around 41°F. That station sits roughly 1,400 feet below the trail's high point, so temperatures up top run cooler. The trail is natural-surfaced, and horses and bikes are allowed. Two campsites sit within a mile: Fr 1046 Rock Outcrop Night Use Area 131 and Fr 1046 End Of Langohr Road Site 165. Hyalite Canyon and the Westshore hike are each about a mile away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Fr 1046 Rock Outcrop Night Use Area 131

    Campground

    Campground · 0.5 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Blacksmith Italian

    Restaurant

    Open after 6

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Emigrant

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · Jul–Sep

    Best time to visit History Rock

    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

      30° / 9°

      13 wet

    2. Feb

      34° / 9°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 17°

      12 wet

    4. Apr

      48° / 23°

      11 wet

    5. May

      58° / 30°

      14 wet

    6. Jun

      67° / 36°

      14 wet

    7. Jul

      78° / 41°

      11 wet

    8. Aug

      77° / 39°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 33°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      53° / 25°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      37° / 16°

      11 wet

    12. Dec

      27° / 9°

      14 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Big Sky 2wnw, MT, 21.4 mi away at 6,590 ft. The station sits about 1,400 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.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

WestshorePhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Westshore

~2 min drive

5.99-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 130 ft of elevation gain.

Hyalite CanyonPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hyalite Canyon

~2 min drive

10.53-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 323 ft elevation gain.

Crescent LakePhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Crescent Lake

~2 min drive

2.66-mile out-and-back trail to Crescent Lake in Montana with 148 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Storm Castle Creek Trail

~10 min drive

15.5-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 4,109 ft elevation gain/loss.

Lower Wildhorse Lick TrailPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Lower Wildhorse Lick Trail

~4 min drive

8.52-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,661 ft elevation gain

BlackmorePhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Blackmore

~2 min drive

12.22-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,955 ft elevation gain.

Wildhorse Cutoff TrailPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Wildhorse Cutoff Trail

~4 min drive

0.6-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 156 ft elevation gain.

Hyalite Creek TrailPhoto: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Hyalite Creek Trail

~11 min drive

2.9-mile out-and-back hike in Montana with 1,099 ft elevation gain

East Fork DividePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

East Fork Divide

~7 min drive

4.96-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,455 ft elevation gain.

Hood Creek TrailPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Hood Creek Trail

~4 min drive

2.48-mile out-and-back hike in Montana with 854 ft gain and 7,537 ft max elevation.