Montana · Hiking · Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

Low Specimen

0.5 mi
round trip
248 ft
climb
6,710 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jul–Sep
best months

Is Low Specimen open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Custer Gallatin National Forest. It doesn't name Low Specimen, so check the source for the area it covers (14 listed).

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

Low Specimen is an easy out-and-back hike in Montana's Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, within the Gardiner Ranger District of Custer Gallatin National Forest. It sits about 9 miles from Yanceys, Wyoming, the nearest town. The route is short and gentle, covering about 0.46 miles with a total elevation gain of 248 feet. The steepest stretch, a 13% grade, comes about 0.15 miles in. The high point reaches 6,710 feet, and the climb is one way, so you pass it twice on the round trip. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July and August highs reach about 78°F with lows near 40°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station at Tower Falls, Wyoming. Winter is hard, with snow on 11 to 13 days a month from December through February. Horse Creek Trail starts just 0.4 miles away. Brundage Creek and Telephone Basin are each about a mile off, and Coyote Creek Cutoff is roughly 1.7 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Jul–Sep

    Best time to visit Low Specimen

    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

      26° / 4°

      12 wet · 13 snow

    2. Feb

      31° / 6°

      11 wet · 11 snow

    3. Mar

      41° / 16°

      10 wet · 9 snow

    4. Apr

      49° / 24°

      10 wet · 6 snow

    5. May

      59° / 31°

      12 wet · 2 snow

    6. Jun

      68° / 37°

      13 wet

    7. Jul

      78° / 41°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      78° / 39°

      9 wet

    9. Sep

      69° / 32°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    10. Oct

      53° / 23°

      9 wet · 4 snow

    11. Nov

      36° / 13°

      10 wet · 9 snow

    12. Dec

      26° / 5°

      13 wet · 13 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tower Falls, WY, 10.4 mi away at 6,275 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

HIKE

Coyote Creek Trailhead (2N1)

~5 min drive

This is a remote trailhead at the northern boundary of the park that is not accessible by road. From this trailhead, you can embark on the following trail within the park: Coyote Creek Trail

2H1 Campsite Spur TrailPhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

2H1 Campsite Spur Trail

~11 min drive

Quick out-and-back spur to 2H1 Campsite in Wyoming backcountry.

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

Telephone Basin

~13 min drive

4.46-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 625 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Horse Creek Trail

Next door

12.54-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,581 ft elevation gain/loss.

HIKE

Coyote Creek Trail

~9 min drive

Accessible out-and-back creek hike in Wyoming with scenic water features.

HIKE

Upper Hellroaring Trailhead (2N5)

~4 min drive

This is a remote trailhead at the northern boundary of the park that is not accessible by road. From this trailhead, you can embark on the following trail within the park: Hellroaring Creek Trail

HIKE

Elk Creek Cutoff

~5 min drive

2.7-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 571 ft gain.

HIKE

Coyote Creek Cutoff

~3 min drive

4.64-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,016 ft elevation gain/loss.

HIKE

Brundage Creek

~2 min drive

9.31-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 938 ft gain

HIKE

Buffalo Plateau Trail

~10 min drive

Out-and-back plateau hike with steady climbing and high-country views.