Lightning-Windfall
- 11.8 mi
- round trip
- 1,494 ft
- climb
- 7,725 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Lightning-Windfall open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Lolo National Forest.
East Fork Big Creek Road & Trail Closure- Superior Ranger District
Agency alert covering Lolo National Forest · Order 26-003- · USFS · Lolo National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Lolo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Lightning-Windfall is a hard hike in the Ninemile Ranger District of Montana's Lolo National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The route is an out-and-back of about 11.8 miles, with a total elevation gain of 1,494 feet, taking you from a low point of about 6,289 feet to a high of about 7,725 feet. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows bikes, so it works for hikers and riders alike. It is open year-round, and the trip is rated hard, so plan for a full day on foot or on two wheels. Several other destinations sit close by. Dalton Lake is about 0.3 miles away and Pearl Lake about 0.8 miles. Trio Lakes is roughly 1.8 miles off. Across the line in Idaho, the North Fork Clearwater River offers canoeing about 7.3 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Granite Peak RV Resort39 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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Dalton Lake
Next door
Dalton Lake is a 0.48-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 7 feet of elevation gain.
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Pearl Lake
~1 min drive
4.68-mile out-and-back trail to Pearl Lake in Montana with 1,318 ft gain.
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Heart Lake
~5 min drive
7.92-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,045 ft elevation gain.
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BOUNDARY CREEK
~9 min drive
5.94-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,580 ft elevation gain
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Trio Lakes
~3 min drive
1.77-mile out-and-back trail to Trio Lakes in Montana with 181 ft of elevation gain.
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STEEP LAKES
~6 min drive
2.9-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,177 ft elevation gain and loss.
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French Lake
~6 min drive
7.36-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,581 ft gain.
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FISH LAKE
~12 min drive
12.72-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,552 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Hoodoo Lake Access
~6 min drive
0.8-mile out-and-back trail to Hoodoo Lake in Montana with 43 feet of elevation gain.
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Hoodoo Lake
~7 min drive
4.51-mile out-and-back hike to Hoodoo Lake in Montana with 1,053 ft of elevation gain.
Also worth it near here
Route details
- Distance
- 11.8 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 1,494 ft
- Summit
- 7,388 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Time
- About 4.5 hours
Season
Season: Year-round.
Questions about this route
How long is the Lightning-Windfall on Lightning Peak?
About 11.8 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Lightning-Windfall?
About 1,494 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Lightning-Windfall?
It is rated hard.
How long does the Lightning-Windfall take?
About 4.5 hours round trip.
When is the best time for the Lightning-Windfall?
Year-round.
Conditions and forecast on Lightning Peak
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.
