Montana · Hiking

Rainbow Lake

0.5 mi
round trip
227 ft
climb
4,317 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Rainbow Lake open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Kootenai National Forest. It doesn't name Rainbow Lake, 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.

Rainbow Lake is an easy out-and-back hike in the Libby Ranger District of the Kootenai National Forest in northwest Montana. The trail is short at about half a mile and climbs roughly 70 feet to a high point of 4,317 feet, with the steepest stretch around 0.08 miles in. The trailhead is marked as Rainbow Lake TH 825. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open from about May 1 through November 30. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. At a nearby weather station, typical July and August highs reach about 81°F with lows in the low 40s, and those months see the fewest wet days of the year. That station sits well below the lake, so temperatures up high run cooler. Bikes are allowed on this natural-surface route, and Flatiron Ridge and Rainbow Ridge X-C Ski both lie within a third of a mile. Loon Lake Campground is about 3.5 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 Rainbow Lake

    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

      29° / 14°

      14 wet

    2. Feb

      36° / 14°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      44° / 22°

      13 wet

    4. Apr

      54° / 27°

      11 wet

    5. May

      65° / 35°

      11 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 41°

      11 wet

    7. Jul

      81° / 43°

      7 wet

    8. Aug

      81° / 42°

      6 wet

    9. Sep

      70° / 35°

      7 wet

    10. Oct

      53° / 28°

      11 wet

    11. Nov

      36° / 21°

      13 wet

    12. Dec

      27° / 15°

      14 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yaak 9nne, MT, 21.1 mi away at 3,085 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.