Rattlesnake Creek
- 4.9 mi
- round trip
- 730 ft
- climb
- 5,951 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Is Rattlesnake Creek 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.
Rattlesnake Creek is an easy hike of about 4.9 miles in the Missoula Ranger District of Montana's Lolo National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The route is an out-and-back with a total climb of about 730 feet, rising from roughly 5,240 feet to about 5,951 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Lindbergh Lake show July and August highs around 78°F with lows near 50°F and only about seven wet days a month. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. Several other outings start close by. Wrangle Creek is about 0.2 miles away and Carter Lake about 0.3 miles. The Wrangel Creek Trail for mountain biking is also about 0.3 miles away, and the Porcupine Creek hike is about 1.1 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Granite Peak RV Resort14 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jul–Sep
Best time to visit Rattlesnake Creek
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
31° / 16°
19 wet · 17 snow
Feb
34° / 17°
16 wet · 14 snow
Mar
42° / 23°
16 wet · 11 snow
Apr
50° / 30°
14 wet · 6 snow
May
60° / 38°
14 wet · 1 snow
Jun
68° / 45°
13 wet
Jul
78° / 50°
7 wet
Aug
78° / 49°
7 wet
Sep
67° / 41°
9 wet
Oct
51° / 32°
12 wet · 3 snow
Nov
38° / 24°
16 wet · 10 snow
Dec
29° / 16°
19 wet · 16 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lindbergh Lake, MT, 26.1 mi away at 4,320 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)RATTLESNAKE CREEK CUTOFF G
~12 min drive
1.2-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 227 ft elevation gain
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Spring Gulch
~15 min drive
3.64-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 450 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Stuart Peak
~15 min drive
26.06-mile out-and-back trail to Stuart Peak in Montana with 7,461 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)WALLMAN CUTOFF A
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1.38-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 172 ft elevation gain
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)SAWMILL GULCH CUTOFF D
~15 min drive
2.36-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,250 ft gain/loss and max elevation 4,810 ft.
HIKE
Wrangle Creek
Next door
7.94-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,723 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)SAWMILL GULCH CUTOFF A
~15 min drive
2.62-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 708 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Porcupine Creek
~2 min drive
7.50-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,964 ft gain.
HIKE
Carter Lake
Next door
10.19-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,394 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Curry Cutoff
~15 min drive
0.88-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 110 ft of elevation gain.
