Napoleon Gulch
- 5.5 mi
- round trip
- 1,896 ft
- climb
- 4,927 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Napoleon Gulch open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Kootenai National Forest. It doesn't name Napoleon Gulch, so check the source for the area it covers.
Kootenai Flood Event & Inaccessible Areas
Agency closure covering Kootenai National Forest · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
Updated Skillet Fire Area, Road, Trail Closure
Agency alert covering Kootenai National Forest · Order 01-10- · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Kootenai National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Napoleon Gulch is a moderate out-and-back hike in the Cabinet Ranger District of Montana's Kootenai National Forest, about 5.5 miles long with a one-way elevation gain of 1,896 feet. The trail starts at roughly 2,343 feet and climbs to about 4,927 feet at its high point. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 78°F with lows near 40°F and only about six wet days a month. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher parts of the route run cooler. The trail is natural-surface and allows horses but not bikes. It is not an accessible trail. Nearby, Star Gulch and Hamilton Gulch are both within about 3 miles. Big Eddy Campground and the Clark Fork River Area are about 3.6 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Kootenai River Campground28 mi away
- CDA River RV44 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Star GulchHiking2.3 mi
- Hamilton GulchHiking2.7 mi
- Blacktail CreekHiking2.9 mi
- Big Eddy Picnic/BoatCamping3.6 mi
- Clark Fork River AreaRiver fishing3.6 mi
- Big Eddy CampgroundCamping3.6 mi
- Bad Medicine CampgroundCamping3.6 mi
- Triangle PondLake fishing5.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
ROSS CREEK X-C SKIHiking · ~13 min drivePhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- Star GulchHiking · ~4 min drive
- Dry CreekHiking · ~6 min drive
- Spar PeakHiking · ~18 min drive
- Hamilton GulchHiking · ~5 min drive
- Big EddyHiking · ~6 min drive
- Bull River Campground FishingHiking · ~8 min drive
- Blacktail CreekHiking · ~5 min drive
- West Fork Dry CreekHiking · ~10 min drive
- South Fork Ross CreekHiking · ~13 min drive
Best time to visit Napoleon 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
30° / 15°
14 wet · 12 snow
Feb
35° / 15°
12 wet · 10 snow
Mar
43° / 22°
13 wet · 10 snow
Apr
52° / 28°
12 wet · 5 snow
May
62° / 34°
12 wet · 1 snow
Jun
69° / 39°
10 wet
Jul
78° / 42°
6 wet
Aug
78° / 40°
6 wet
Sep
67° / 34°
7 wet
Oct
52° / 27°
11 wet · 3 snow
Nov
37° / 22°
14 wet · 9 snow
Dec
29° / 15°
15 wet · 13 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Libby 32 Sse, MT, 31.9 mi away at 3,440 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
