Montana · Hiking

Lightning Lake

7.9 mi
round trip
1,960 ft
climb
8,569 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Lightning Lake open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Custer Gallatin National Forest. It doesn't name Lightning Lake, so check the source for the area it covers (16 listed).

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

Lightning Lake is a moderate out-and-back hike in Montana's Custer Gallatin National Forest, within the Hebgen Lake Ranger District. The trail is about 8 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of roughly 2,000 feet, taking you from a low point of about 7,150 feet to a high of about 8,570 feet. The route is on natural surface, and horses are allowed. Bikes are not. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. Several other destinations sit close by. The Minnie and Sentinel Creek hikes are both within a mile, and Beaver Creek Cabin (mt) is about 1.3 miles away. Cabin Creek Campground is about 4.4 miles off.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Cabin CreekPhoto: inkenbrandt, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Cabin Creek

~7 min drive

11.09-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,389 ft elevation gain.

Tumble BasinPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Tumble Basin

~15 min drive

1.16-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 157 ft elevation gain.

Papoose Creek TrailPhoto: Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Papoose Creek Trail

~19 min drive

16.62-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 4,686 ft elevation gain/loss.

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Cabin Creek Divide

~4 min drive

4.89-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 230 ft elevation gain.

Kirkwood TrailPhoto: Sam Beebe/Ecotrust, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Kirkwood Trail

~11 min drive

13.56-mile out-and-back in Montana with 3,849 ft gain/loss.

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Upper Sage Creek

~6 min drive

Upper Sage Creek is a 2.32-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 6 feet of elevation gain.

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Papoose Creek Tral

~15 min drive

11.86-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 3,686 ft elevation gain and loss.

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Alp Creek

~8 min drive

6.67-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,585 ft of elevation gain.

TumbledownPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Tumbledown

~14 min drive

6.09-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,651 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Avalanche Lake

~8 min drive

2.05-mile out-and-back trail to Avalanche Lake in Montana with 507 ft of gain.