Meriwether Canyon
Photo: Monica's Dad, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 12.5 mi
- round trip
- 5,099 ft
- climb
- 6,623 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Meriwether Canyon 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.
Meriwether Canyon is a hard out-and-back hike in Montana's Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, within the Helena Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. The route starts at about 3,640 feet and climbs to 6,623 feet, a total gain of 5,099 feet over 12.5 miles. The trail is on natural surface and allows horses. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Adel, which sits about 1,600 feet lower, show July and August highs around 78°F with lows in the mid-40s. That station's figures are not adjusted for the higher elevation of the canyon. The trip is open year-round. Coulter Campground is about a mile away, and the Mann Gulch hike is less than half a mile off. Missouri River Canyon lies about 1.3 miles away, and the Missouri River offers river fishing roughly 10 miles out.
Local outfitters
- MTBCity20 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Meriwether Canyon
Best months: May–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.
Jan
36° / 14°
Feb
37° / 14°
Mar
43° / 21°
Apr
50° / 27°
May
58° / 35°
Jun
67° / 42°
Jul
78° / 47°
Aug
78° / 46°
Sep
68° / 39°
Oct
53° / 31°
Nov
42° / 23°
Dec
33° / 15°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Adel, MT, 14.2 mi away at 5,017 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Monica's Dad, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Mann Gulch
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