North Coal
- 2.9 mi
- round trip
- 309 ft
- climb
- 6,225 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is North Coal 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. 9 to 12
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.
North Coal is an easy, out-and-back hike in the West Fork Ranger District of Montana's Bitterroot National Forest, about 2.9 miles long with a 309-foot elevation gain from a low point of 5,883 feet to a high of 6,225 feet. The trail is accessible and has a natural surface, and the Forest Service manages the land. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 81°F with lows near 40°F and the fewest wet days of the year, about eight each month. That station sits roughly 1,070 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the route run cooler. Nearby, Little Blue Joint is about 0.9 miles away and Coal Creek about 1.6 miles. Slate Creek Campground is 3.4 miles off, and paddlers can reach the West Fork Bitterroot River about 6.8 miles away.
- Little Blue JointHiking0.9 mi
- COAL CREEKHiking1.6 mi
- TOOK CREEKHiking1.9 mi
- Slate Creek CampgroundCamping3.4 mi
- Slate Creek Campground - Back LoopCamping3.4 mi
Alta CampgroundCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain4.5 mi- Nez Perce ForkCanoeing6.1 mi
- West Fork Bitterroot RiverCanoeing6.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Little Blue JointHiking · ~1 min drive
- COAL CREEKHiking · ~3 min drive
- TOOK CREEKHiking · ~3 min drive
- Took CreekHiking · ~4 min drive
- TOOK CREEKHiking · ~4 min drive
- COAL CREEKHiking · ~4 min drive
- Blue JointHiking · ~5 min drive
- TOOK CREEKHiking · ~4 min drive
- TOOK CREEKHiking · ~4 min drive
- Razorback RidgeHiking · ~5 min drive
Best time to visit North Coal
Best months: June–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
31° / 10°
13 wet
Feb
35° / 12°
12 wet
Mar
43° / 20°
13 wet
Apr
50° / 25°
13 wet
May
61° / 32°
13 wet
Jun
70° / 37°
12 wet
Jul
81° / 40°
8 wet
Aug
81° / 38°
8 wet
Sep
70° / 32°
9 wet
Oct
54° / 26°
11 wet
Nov
38° / 18°
13 wet
Dec
29° / 10°
13 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sula 14 Ne, MT, 33.4 mi away at 5,155 ft. The station sits about 1,100 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.
