Old North Fork 4
- 5.8 mi
- round trip
- 300 ft
- climb
- 6,040 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Old North Fork 4 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.
Old North Fork 4 is a 5.8-mile out-and-back hike in the Scapegoat Wilderness, part of the Seeley Lake Ranger District of Lolo National Forest in Montana. The trail rises about 300 feet from a low point of 5,694 feet to a high of 6,040 feet, and it is rated hard. The route is on natural surface, and horses are allowed. Bikes are not. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Lincoln run to highs around 81°F in July and August, with lows in the low 40s. That station sits about 1,500 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. Sarbo Creek is about half a mile away, and Driftwood and the North Fork Blackfoot River are each about 1.2 miles off. Falls Point, a mountain biking spot, is about 2.2 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Old North Fork 4
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
32° / 12°
9 wet
Feb
35° / 15°
8 wet
Mar
44° / 22°
9 wet
Apr
53° / 27°
9 wet
May
63° / 33°
11 wet
Jun
71° / 40°
12 wet
Jul
81° / 44°
8 wet
Aug
81° / 42°
7 wet
Sep
70° / 35°
7 wet
Oct
54° / 29°
8 wet
Nov
39° / 20°
8 wet
Dec
30° / 13°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lincoln Rs, MT, 21.4 mi away at 4,575 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.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
HIKE
Sarbo Creek
~1 min drive
7.34-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 902 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
East Fork (Of North Fork)
~4 min drive
1.80-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 213 ft gain.
HIKE
Mcdonnell Meadows
~5 min drive
3.40-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 939 ft gain.
HIKE
Driftwood
~2 min drive
8.72-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 448 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Falls Point Cutacross
~4 min drive
2.18-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 530 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Twin Lakes
~9 min drive
4.57-mile out-and-back trail at Twin Lakes, Montana with 226 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Evans Peak
~4 min drive
Evans Peak is a 7.80-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,470 feet of elevation gain.
HIKE
Old North Fork 3 (Cabin Grade)
~6 min drive
0.72-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 331 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Dearborn - Cave Creek Cutoff
~10 min drive
5.04-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,500 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Falls Point
~5 min drive
5.37-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,028 ft elevation gain.
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