Roller Coaster
- 6.8 mi
- round trip
- 173 ft
- climb
- 4,277 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May, Jul–Sep
- best months
Is Roller Coaster 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.
Roller Coaster is an easy out-and-back hike in the Seeley Lake Ranger District of Lolo National Forest in Montana, managed by the Forest Service. The route is about 6.8 miles long, with a low point of 4,080 feet and a high of 4,277 feet, so the climb is a gentle one of about 173 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Seeley Lake show July and August highs around 83°F with lows in the low 40s, while winter highs stay near freezing. The trail starts close to several other routes. Mountain View and Cutoff are both about 0.1 mile away, and the Roller Coaster Cutoff mountain biking route is about 0.2 mile off. For an overnight stay, Big Larch Campground Complex is about 1.1 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Granite Peak RV Resort35 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May, Jul–Sep
Best time to visit Roller Coaster
Best months: May and 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
32° / 12°
15 wet
Feb
37° / 13°
12 wet
Mar
45° / 20°
12 wet
Apr
54° / 27°
11 wet
May
65° / 34°
12 wet
Jun
72° / 41°
13 wet
Jul
83° / 44°
8 wet
Aug
83° / 43°
7 wet
Sep
73° / 36°
9 wet
Oct
56° / 29°
11 wet
Nov
40° / 21°
14 wet
Dec
31° / 13°
16 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Seeley Lake Rs, MT, 1.5 mi away at 4,100 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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