North O'brien Loop
- 10.3 mi
- round trip
- 624 ft
- climb
- 4,499 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Oct
- best months
Is North O'brien Loop open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Lolo National Forest.
East Fork Big Creek Road & Trail Closure- Superior Ranger District
Agency alert covering Lolo National Forest · Order 26-003- · USFS · Lolo National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Lolo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
North O'Brien Loop is a 10.3-mile out-and-back hike in the Missoula Ranger District of Lolo National Forest in western Montana, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is rated hard, with a total elevation gain of 624 feet from the low point at 3,886 feet to the high at 4,499 feet. The route is on natural surface, and both horses and bikes are allowed. That makes it a versatile option for riders and equestrians as well as hikers. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Missoula show July highs around 85°F with lows near 51°F, and September cools to highs around 73°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The Blue Mountain National Recreation Trail and Hayes Point Loop are both within about 2.5 miles. Deadmans Ridge is a hike about 2.8 miles away, and Pattee Canyon Picnic Area offers camping about 6.6 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Granite Peak RV Resort7 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Oct
Best time to visit North O'brien Loop
Best months: May–October. 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
32° / 18°
13 wet · 10 snow
Feb
37° / 21°
11 wet · 8 snow
Mar
48° / 27°
11 wet · 5 snow
Apr
56° / 32°
11 wet · 2 snow
May
66° / 40°
12 wet
Jun
73° / 46°
12 wet
Jul
85° / 51°
7 wet
Aug
84° / 50°
6 wet
Sep
73° / 42°
7 wet
Oct
56° / 32°
10 wet · 1 snow
Nov
40° / 25°
11 wet · 5 snow
Dec
31° / 18°
12 wet · 9 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Missoula Intl Ap, MT, 5.8 mi away at 3,192 ft. The station sits about 1,300 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Evan-Lovely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)HAYES POINT CUTOFF
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1.34-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 734 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Evan-Lovely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)BLUE MTN HORSE/HIKER/BIKE
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Blue Mountain Horse/hiker A
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0.96-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 162 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Evan-Lovely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)BLUE MTN HORSE/HIKER NRT TIE
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2.1-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 721 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Evan-Lovely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Blue Mountain Bike B
~7 min drive
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Deadmans Ridge
~5 min drive
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Blue Mountain Bike Spur 2
~7 min drive
0.88-mile out-and-back trail with 42 ft gain in Montana.
Photo: Evan-Lovely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Blue Mountian Bike A
~6 min drive
1.50-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 362 ft gain.
Photo: Evan-Lovely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)BLUE MTN M/C DEADMAN RIDGE
~5 min drive
5.14-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,391 ft elevation gain and loss.
