Montana · Hiking

Parmenter Creek

10.1 mi
round trip
3,040 ft
climb
4,061 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Parmenter Creek open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Kootenai National Forest. It doesn't name Parmenter Creek, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Kootenai National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Parmenter Creek is a hard hike of about 10 miles on the Libby Ranger District of the Kootenai National Forest in northwest Montana, managed by the Forest Service. It's an out-and-back route with a total climb of about 3,040 feet, starting from a low point of roughly 2,483 feet and reaching a high of about 4,061 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 78°F with lows in the low 40s and only about six wet days a month. Winters are cold and snowy, with highs near freezing and snow on about 10 to 13 days a month from December through February. The trail is on natural surface and horses are allowed, so it works for riders as well as hikers. Several other hikes lie within a couple of miles, including Norman Mountain, Parmenter Tie and Flower Lake. Timberlane Campground is about 9 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Parmenter Creek

    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.

    1. Jan

      30° / 15°

      14 wet · 12 snow

    2. Feb

      35° / 15°

      12 wet · 10 snow

    3. Mar

      43° / 22°

      13 wet · 10 snow

    4. Apr

      52° / 28°

      12 wet · 5 snow

    5. May

      62° / 34°

      12 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      69° / 39°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      78° / 42°

      6 wet

    8. Aug

      78° / 40°

      6 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 34°

      7 wet

    10. Oct

      52° / 27°

      11 wet · 3 snow

    11. Nov

      37° / 22°

      14 wet · 9 snow

    12. Dec

      29° / 15°

      15 wet · 13 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Libby 32 Sse, MT, 35.1 mi away at 3,440 ft. The station sits about 600 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

Grambauer Ridge TiePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Grambauer Ridge Tie

~8 min drive

4.72-mile out-and-back trail on Grambauer Ridge in Montana with 1,565 ft gain.

Sheldon Mountain Tie MPhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sheldon Mountain Tie M

~9 min drive

1.05-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 149 ft elevation gain.

GrambauerPhoto: Arbron, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Grambauer

~13 min drive

13.27-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 4,915 ft elevation gain.

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Scenery Mountain Tie

~6 min drive

0.88-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 536 ft elevation gain.

Whoop UpPhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Whoop Up

~10 min drive

2.97-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 66 ft gain and 639 ft loss.

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Flower Lake

~3 min drive

2.08-mile out-and-back trail to Flower Lake in Montana with 490 ft gain

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Norman Mountain

~2 min drive

5.93-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,350 ft elevation gain.

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Sheldon Mountain Tie J

~11 min drive

0.64-mile out-and-back trail on Sheldon Mountain with 212 ft gain.

Bighorn Trail #42Photo: Arbron, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Bighorn Trail #42

~12 min drive

2.52-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,331 ft elevation gain

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Skidale

~5 min drive

Skidale is a 1.11-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 314 feet of elevation gain.