Middle Fork Cabin Gulch
- 9.8 mi
- round trip
- 1,512 ft
- climb
- 6,531 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Middle Fork Cabin Gulch 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.
Middle Fork Cabin Gulch is a hard out-and-back hike of about 10 miles in the Townsend Ranger District of Montana's Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. The trail starts at roughly 5,029 feet and climbs to about 6,531 feet, a gain of 1,512 feet. The Forest Service manages the surrounding land, and the route is on natural surface, with both horses and bikes allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July highs reach about 82°F with lows near 48°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station at White Sulphur Springs. That station sits about 1,500 feet lower than the high point, so temperatures on the trail run cooler. Rillway Cabin is about 1.6 miles away, and West Fork Cabin Gulch is about 1.8 miles off. Edith Lake and the Deep Creek canoeing stretch are a little farther, within about 5 miles.
Local outfitters
- MTBCity44 mi away
- Yellowstone Safari Company46 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Rillway CabinCamping1.6 mi
- West Fork Cabin GulchHiking1.8 mi
- Cedar Bar FalknerHiking2.4 mi
HollowayHikingPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)3 mi- West Big Belts Gfa - Sulphur Bar CuaCamping3.3 mi
- Edith LakeHiking4.2 mi
- Deep CreekCanoeing4.9 mi
- Skidway CampgroundCamping5.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Hidden LakeHiking · ~17 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- LITTLE CAMAS CREEKHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Gipsy Lake Campground LoopHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- GipsyHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- West Fork Cabin GulchHiking · ~3 min drive
- Grace LakeHiking · ~12 min drive
- HollowayHiking · ~5 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- NeedlesHiking · ~11 min drive
- Travic TrailHiking · ~27 min drive
- Cedar Bar FalknerHiking · ~4 min drive
Best time to visit Middle Fork Cabin Gulch
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
33° / 13°
5 wet
Feb
35° / 13°
4 wet
Mar
45° / 21°
6 wet
Apr
53° / 27°
8 wet
May
63° / 35°
11 wet
Jun
71° / 42°
12 wet
Jul
82° / 48°
8 wet
Aug
81° / 47°
7 wet
Sep
71° / 39°
7 wet
Oct
56° / 29°
6 wet
Nov
42° / 20°
5 wet
Dec
33° / 13°
5 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at White Sulphur Springs #2, MT, 20.2 mi away at 5,040 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.
