Tiny Town Campground
Campground
Campground · 4.0 mi from the trail
Montana · Hiking · Near Emigrant
Pole Gulch
- 32.7 mi
- round trip
- 1,000 ft
- climb
- 7,744 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Is Pole Gulch open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Yellowstone Ranger District. It doesn't name Pole Gulch, so check the source for the area it covers (13 listed).
East Fork of the Mill Creek Trail Bridge Stock Closure
Agency closure covering Yellowstone Ranger District · Order 01-11-04-26-03 · USFS · Yellowstone Ranger District
NFSR #1700 South Plateau Road Closure
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Summer Interim Travel Order and Map and Order # 01-11-00-26-02
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · Order 01-11-00-26-02 · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Winter Interim Travel Order and Map Order Number: #01-11-00-26-01
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
Glacier Lake Road #2421 Closure Order Number: # 01-11-82-26- 01
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · Order 01-11-82-26- · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Yellowstone Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Pole Gulch is a long out-and-back trail in the Yellowstone Ranger District of Custer Gallatin National Forest in Montana. At about 32.7 miles round trip, it is rated hard and is best suited to hikers comfortable covering big mileage on a natural-surface tread. The route climbs about 1,000 feet one way. Along its length it ranges between a low point near 5,440 feet and a high point around 7,740 feet. Because you return the way you came, the turnaround is a matter of choice, and shorter sections are possible for anyone not committing to the full distance. Summer is the most comfortable window. A nearby weather station at Big Sky records typical July and August highs in the upper 70s and lows around 40°F, and the higher stretches of the trail run cooler than that. Horses are allowed on the trail, but bikes are not. Other hikes close by include Mud Lake, under 2 miles away, plus Fridley Lake and Eightmile a few miles farther. The Hyalite Canyon climbing area sits about 9 miles off.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after If it rains
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors
More in EmigrantLocal outfitters
- Yellowstone Safari Company23 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Mud LakeHiking1.8 mi
- Fridley LakeHiking3.2 mi
- EightmileHiking4.2 mi
- Yellowstone National ParkRock climbing6.1 mi
- Fr 3163 East Fork Hyalite Ck Th 060Camping7.1 mi
- Fr 3163 East Fork Hyalite Creek 054Camping7.3 mi
- Fr 3163 East Fork Hyalite Creek 052Camping7.5 mi
- Hyalite CanyonRock climbing8.9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Hyalite CreekHiking · ~12 min drivePhoto: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Emerald Lake TrailHiking · ~12 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)- Palisade FallsHiking · ~14 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)
- Storm Castle Creek TrailHiking · ~20 min drive
- Hyalite Creek TrailHiking · ~12 min drivePhoto: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- East Fork DivideHiking · ~13 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)
Hyalite Canyon TrailHiking · ~16 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)- Lower Wildhorse Lick TrailHiking · ~17 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)
BlackmoreHiking · ~17 min drivePhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Palisade Mountain FoothillsHiking · ~16 min drivePhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Pole Gulch
Best months: July–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
30° / 9°
13 wet
Feb
34° / 9°
11 wet
Mar
42° / 17°
12 wet
Apr
48° / 23°
11 wet
May
58° / 30°
14 wet
Jun
67° / 36°
14 wet
Jul
78° / 41°
11 wet
Aug
77° / 39°
11 wet
Sep
68° / 33°
10 wet
Oct
53° / 25°
10 wet
Nov
37° / 16°
11 wet
Dec
27° / 9°
14 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Big Sky 2wnw, MT, 26.1 mi away at 6,590 ft. The station sits about 1,200 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.
