Nelson Lake
- 6.0 mi
- round trip
- 941 ft
- climb
- 7,465 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Nelson Lake open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Bitterroot National Forest.
Pile burning on West Fork Ranger and Darby-Sula Districts Nov. 2
Agency alert covering Bitterroot National Forest · USFS · Bitterroot National Forest
Pile burning on West Fork Ranger District end of October
Agency alert covering West Fork Ranger District · USFS · West Fork Ranger District
Pile burning on West Fork Ranger District Oct. 26
Agency alert covering West Fork Ranger District · USFS · West Fork Ranger District
Two Prescribed Burns Planned for the week of Oct. 5 - Piquett Creek & Cameron Gap
Agency alert covering Bitterroot National Forest · USFS · Bitterroot National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Bitterroot National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Nelson Lake is a 6-mile out-and-back hike on natural surface in the West Fork Ranger District of Montana's Bitterroot National Forest. The trail gains 941 feet, rising from about 6,069 feet to a high point of roughly 7,465 feet. It is a hard route, and the trailhead is named Nelson Lake Trailhead, with parking at Nelson Lake. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July averages from a nearby weather station in Wisdom, at a lower elevation than the high point, run around 78°F for highs and 38°F for lows. That station sits about 1,400 feet below the peak, so temperatures on top run cooler. Several other hikes start close by, including Neslon and Neslon-Gemmel Creeks, both about 0.6 miles away, and Gemmel/Nelson Creek at 0.7 miles. For an overnight stay, Rombo campground is about 3.7 miles away.
Best time to go · Jun–Aug
Best time to visit Nelson Lake
Best months: June–August. 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
26° / 3°
8 wet
Feb
29° / 3°
8 wet
Mar
39° / 12°
8 wet
Apr
49° / 21°
9 wet
May
59° / 28°
12 wet
Jun
67° / 35°
11 wet
Jul
78° / 38°
8 wet
Aug
77° / 34°
7 wet
Sep
68° / 28°
7 wet
Oct
53° / 21°
8 wet
Nov
36° / 10°
9 wet
Dec
25° / 3°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Wisdom, MT, 44 mi away at 6,060 ft. The station sits about 1,400 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
HIKE
Neslon
Next door
2.60-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 398 ft gain.
HIKE
HALFORD/SODA SPINGS CREEK
~2 min drive
1.78-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 748 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Boulder Creek
~5 min drive
18.45-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,919 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Trapper Peak
~7 min drive
8.18-mile out-and-back trail to Trapper Peak in Montana with 2,854 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Neslon-Gemmel Creeks
~1 min drive
2.60-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 40 ft gain.
HIKE
Halford-Soda Spirngs
~2 min drive
4.96-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 466 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Mud Creek
~9 min drive
7.40-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,009 ft gain.
HIKE
GEMMEL/NELSON CREEK
~1 min drive
1.34-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 748 ft elevation gain
HIKE
ONE CREEK
~4 min drive
1.9-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,265 ft elevation gain
HIKE
MUD CREEK
~9 min drive
2.82-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,625 ft elevation gain/loss
