Montana · Hiking · Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Roaring Lion

15.4 mi
round trip
1,338 ft
climb
5,791 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Roaring Lion open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Bitterroot National Forest.

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

Roaring Lion is a hard hike of about 15.4 miles in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, within the Darby Ranger District of the Bitterroot National Forest in western Montana. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a natural-surface out-and-back that climbs from about 4,400 feet to about 5,790 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 81°F with lows near 40°F and only about eight wet days a month, while winter highs stay in the low 30s. Several other routes sit close by. Sawtooth is about a mile away, and Goat Mountain Trail and Ward Mountain are each within about 2.4 miles. Blodgett Campground, about 5.3 miles off, offers a place to stay.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Roaring Lion

    Best months: June–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

      31° / 10°

      13 wet

    2. Feb

      35° / 12°

      12 wet

    3. Mar

      43° / 20°

      13 wet

    4. Apr

      50° / 25°

      13 wet

    5. May

      61° / 32°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      70° / 37°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      81° / 40°

      8 wet

    8. Aug

      81° / 38°

      8 wet

    9. Sep

      70° / 32°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 26°

      11 wet

    11. Nov

      38° / 18°

      13 wet

    12. Dec

      29° / 10°

      13 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sula 14 Ne, MT, 32.2 mi away at 5,155 ft. The station sits about 600 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.