Indian Head
- 6.0 mi
- round trip
- 5,522 ft
- climb
- 7,240 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Indian Head open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Kootenai National Forest. It doesn't name Indian Head, 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
Trail Advisory-Alexander Mountain Trail near Timber Harvest Activities
Agency alert covering Libby Ranger District · USFS · Libby Ranger District
Timberlane Campground Closure
Agency alert covering Libby Ranger District · Order 01-14-05-26-03 · USFS · Libby Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Kootenai National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Indian Head is a hard hike of about 6 miles in the Libby Ranger District of Kootenai National Forest in northwest Montana. The route is an out-and-back that gains about 5,500 feet, climbing from roughly 3,600 feet to about 7,240 feet at its high point. It is a natural-surface trail and bikes are not allowed, so plan on walking both ways. The hike starts and ends within the Forest Service's Kootenai National Forest, and the Libby Ranger District is the managing unit. The trail's steep climb makes it a serious day, and the route's elevation gain is one way. Several other hikes sit within a mile or so, including Parmenter Tie, Flower Lake and Flower Creek. For time on the water, the Libby Area offers river fishing about 8 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Kootenai River Campground16 mi away
- Indian Springs Montana48 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Grambauer Ridge Tie
~7 min drive
4.72-mile out-and-back trail on Grambauer Ridge in Montana with 1,565 ft gain.
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Sheldon Mountain Tie M
~12 min drive
1.05-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 149 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Arbron, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Grambauer
~14 min drive
13.27-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 4,915 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Scenery Mountain Tie
~8 min drive
0.88-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 536 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Arbron, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Bighorn Trail #42
~13 min drive
2.52-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,331 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Flower Lake
~2 min drive
2.08-mile out-and-back trail to Flower Lake in Montana with 490 ft gain
HIKE
Flower Creek
~2 min drive
12.02-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,520 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Sheldon Mountain Tie J
~14 min drive
0.64-mile out-and-back trail on Sheldon Mountain with 212 ft gain.
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Whoop Up
~13 min drive
2.97-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 66 ft gain and 639 ft loss.
HIKE
Flower Bypass A
~5 min drive
0.64-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 243 ft of elevation gain.
Route details
- Distance
- 6.0 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 5,522 ft
- Starts at
- FLOWER CREEK TH 137 (about 5,385 ft)
- Summit
- 7,242 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Time
- About 5 hours
Getting there
Park at FLOWER CREEK TH 137.
Questions about this route
How long is the Indian Head on Indian Head?
About 6.0 mi round trip from FLOWER CREEK TH 137 (about 5,385 ft).
How much elevation gain is on the Indian Head?
About 5,522 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Indian Head?
It is rated hard.
Where does the Indian Head start?
FLOWER CREEK TH 137 (about 5,385 ft).
How long does the Indian Head take?
About 5 hours round trip.
Conditions and forecast on Indian Head
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.
