Long Coulee
- 4.0 mi
- round trip
- 131 ft
- climb
- 5,912 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Oct
- best months
Is Long Coulee open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Long Coulee is a 4-mile out-and-back hike in the Belt Creek-White Sulphur Springs Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in central Montana. The trail rises from about 5,200 feet to about 5,900 feet, a climb of 131 feet over its length, and the Forest Service manages the land. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July and August highs reach about 81°F with lows near 47°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station. Winter is cold, with typical January highs around 37°F and lows near 16°F. The trail is natural-surface and allows both horses and bikes. It is not an accessible route. The Deep Creek NRT trailhead is the parking point, and the trail is open year-round. The Figure 8 Loop NRT lies about a mile away, and Monument Ridge and Rugby Creek are each about 1.4 miles off. For an overnight stay, Monument Peak Lookout campground is about 2.5 miles away.
- Figure 8 Loop NRTHiking0.9 mi
- MONUMENT RIDGEHiking1.4 mi
- RUGBY CREEKHiking1.4 mi
- N FK DEEP CREEKHiking1.4 mi
- Deep Creek RidgeHiking2.1 mi
- Monument Peak LookoutCamping2.5 mi
- S FK DEEP CREEKHiking3.3 mi
- Logging Creek CgCamping5.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Long Coulee
Best months: May–October. 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.
Jan
37° / 16°
Feb
40° / 16°
Mar
46° / 22°
Apr
54° / 27°
May
63° / 35°
Jun
71° / 42°
Jul
81° / 47°
Aug
81° / 47°
Sep
72° / 40°
Oct
58° / 32°
Nov
44° / 24°
Dec
37° / 16°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Neihart 8 Nnw, MT, 13.7 mi away at 5,230 ft. The station sits about 700 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.
