Red Top
- 12.6 mi
- round trip
- 3,646 ft
- climb
- 6,470 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Red Top open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Three Rivers Ranger District. It doesn't name Red Top, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).
Ross Creek Cedars Road Closure & Storm Damage Update
Agency closure covering Three Rivers Ranger District · Order 01-14-04-26-08 · USFS · Three Rivers Ranger District
Kootenai Flood Event & Inaccessible Areas
Agency closure covering Kootenai National Forest · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
Updated Skillet Fire Area, Road, Trail Closure
Agency alert covering Kootenai National Forest · Order 01-10- · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
Spar Lake Road #384 Road Closed to Motorized Vehicles
Agency alert covering Three Rivers Ranger District · Order 01-14-04-26-04 · USFS · Three Rivers Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Three Rivers Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Red Top is a hard hike in the Three Rivers Ranger District of Kootenai National Forest in northwest Montana, about 12.6 miles long with a one-way elevation gain of 3,646 feet. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and is open to both horses and bikes on its natural surface. The route is an out-and-back that starts at Red Top Campground, which sits just 0.1 mile from the trail. The climb rises from a low point of about 2,827 feet to a high of roughly 6,470 feet. Newton Mountain is the closest nearby hike, about a mile away, and Baldy Mountain is about 2.5 miles off. Mt. Baldy-Buckhorn Ridge campground and Whitetail Campground are both within about 6.5 miles.
Local outfitters
- Kootenai River Campground18 mi away
- Indian Springs Montana41 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Tepee Mountain
~15 min drive
16.14-mile out-and-back trail to Tepee Mountain in Montana with 2,023 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Feeder Creek
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4.08-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,182 ft of elevation gain.
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Baldy Mountain
~4 min drive
7.72-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,706 ft elevation gain.
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Tepee Mountain
~8 min drive
Tepee Mountain is a 0.81-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 198 feet of elevation gain.
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Garver Mountain Lookout
~22 min drive
0.66-mile out-and-back trail to Garver Mountain Lookout in Montana
Photo: waterarchives, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Kootenai River Walk
~20 min drive
8.82-mile out-and-back trail following the Kootenai River in Idaho.
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North Fork Meadow Creek
~9 min drive
2.75-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,031 ft elevation gain.
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Independence Creek
~10 min drive
10.45-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,843 ft elevation gain.
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North Fork Meadow Creek Tie
~12 min drive
2.20-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 554 ft elevation gain.
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Newton Mountain
~2 min drive
11.74-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 3,168 ft of elevation gain.
Route details
- Distance
- 12.6 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 3,646 ft
- Starts at
- RED TOP/MURPHY MOUNTAIN TH 29 (about 2,827 ft)
- Summit
- 6,472 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Time
- About 6 hours
Getting there
Park at RED TOP/MURPHY MOUNTAIN TH 29.
Questions about this route
How long is the Red Top on Murphy Mountain?
About 12.6 mi round trip from RED TOP/MURPHY MOUNTAIN TH 29 (about 2,827 ft).
How much elevation gain is on the Red Top?
About 3,646 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Red Top?
It is rated hard.
Where does the Red Top start?
RED TOP/MURPHY MOUNTAIN TH 29 (about 2,827 ft).
How long does the Red Top take?
About 6 hours round trip.
Conditions and forecast on Murphy Mountain
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
