Montana · Hiking · Bob Marshall Wilderness

Kelly Point Ford

1.7 mi
round trip
196 ft
climb
4,176 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jul–Sep
best months

Is Kelly Point Ford open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 5 alerts for Flathead National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Flathead National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Kelly Point Ford is a short, easy hike in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, part of the Spotted Bear Ranger District of Flathead National Forest in northwest Montana. The trail is about 1.7 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 196 feet, and it makes an out-and-back trip from a low point of about 4,041 feet to a high of about 4,176 feet. The route is on natural surface, and it is open year-round. Horses are allowed, but bikes are not, and the trail is not accessible. The Forest Service manages the land. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Lindbergh Lake show July and August highs around 78°F with lows near 50°F and only about seven wet days a month. Winter is cold and snowy, with highs in the low 30s and snow on roughly half the days in December and January. Several other hikes start close by. West Side South Fork is about 0.3 miles away and Hodag Ridge about 0.4 miles. Black Bear Bridge Ford is about 1.2 miles off, and the South Fork Flathead River, a paddling route, is about 7 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Jul–Sep

    Best time to visit Kelly Point Ford

    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

      31° / 16°

      19 wet · 17 snow

    2. Feb

      34° / 17°

      16 wet · 14 snow

    3. Mar

      42° / 23°

      16 wet · 11 snow

    4. Apr

      50° / 30°

      14 wet · 6 snow

    5. May

      60° / 38°

      14 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      68° / 45°

      13 wet

    7. Jul

      78° / 50°

      7 wet

    8. Aug

      78° / 49°

      7 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 41°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      51° / 32°

      12 wet · 3 snow

    11. Nov

      38° / 24°

      16 wet · 10 snow

    12. Dec

      29° / 16°

      19 wet · 16 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lindbergh Lake, MT, 27.3 mi away at 4,320 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.