Parker Ridge
- 11.6 mi
- round trip
- 36 ft
- climb
- 5,402 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Parker Ridge open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Parker Ridge is a hard hike in the Belt Creek-White Sulphur Springs Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana, within the Tenderfoot - Deep Creek Roadless Area. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is about 11.6 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 36 feet. It is an out-and-back route that starts and ends at the same point, with the low point at 3,809 feet and the high at 5,402 feet. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows both horses and bikes. It is not an accessible trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 80°F with lows in the mid-40s, while winter highs stay near freezing. Several other hikes sit close by, including Temple Gulch and Strawberry Ridge, each about a mile away, and Smith River at about 2.2 miles. Monument Peak Lookout, a campground, is about 5.6 miles off.
- Temple GulchHiking1 mi
- Strawberry RidgeHiking1 mi
- N Fk Deep CreekHiking1.6 mi
- Smith RiverHiking2.2 mi
- Old BaldyHiking2.3 mi
- Double GulchHiking3.5 mi
- Monument Peak LookoutCamping5.6 mi
- Logging Creek CgCamping9.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Memorial FallsHiking · ~43 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)- Strawberry RidgeHiking · ~2 min drive
- Double GulchHiking · ~6 min drive
- Figure 8 Loop NRTHiking · ~11 min drive
- MONUMENT RIDGEHiking · ~9 min drive
- STRAWBERRY RIDGEHiking · ~3 min drive
- Bear GulchHiking · ~7 min drive
- Tenderfoot Falls OverlookHiking · ~11 min drive
- N Fk Deep CreekHiking · ~3 min drive
- Deep Creek RidgeHiking · ~7 min drive
Best time to visit Parker Ridge
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
33° / 11°
8 wet
Feb
35° / 12°
7 wet
Mar
44° / 20°
9 wet
Apr
52° / 26°
11 wet
May
61° / 34°
13 wet
Jun
70° / 41°
12 wet
Jul
80° / 46°
9 wet
Aug
80° / 45°
7 wet
Sep
69° / 37°
6 wet
Oct
54° / 28°
7 wet
Nov
41° / 18°
7 wet
Dec
32° / 11°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Millegan 14 Se, MT, 11.8 mi away at 4,970 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
