Sawtooth
- 20.9 mi
- round trip
- 1,617 ft
- climb
- 5,694 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Sawtooth open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Bitterroot National Forest.
Pile burning on West Fork Ranger and Darby-Sula Districts Nov. 3
Agency alert covering Bitterroot National Forest · USFS · Bitterroot National Forest
Two Prescribed Burns Planned for the week of Oct. 5 - Piquett Creek & Cameron Gap
Agency alert covering Bitterroot National Forest · USFS · Bitterroot National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Bitterroot National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Sawtooth is a hard out-and-back hike in Montana's Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, on the Darby Ranger District of the Bitterroot National Forest. The route gains about 1,600 feet from a low point of 4,156 feet to a high of 5,694 feet, and the whole trip covers about 21 miles. The hike lies well within the wilderness, and the trail surface is natural. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. July and August typically average highs around 81°F with lows near 40°F, based on typical averages from a nearby weather station. Winter is cold, with typical January highs around 31°F. Nearby options include Roaring Lion, about a mile away, and Goat Mountain Trail and Ward Mountain, both within 3 miles. Blodgett Campground sits about 4 miles off.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Sawtooth
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.
Jan
31° / 10°
13 wet
Feb
35° / 12°
12 wet
Mar
43° / 20°
13 wet
Apr
50° / 25°
13 wet
May
61° / 32°
13 wet
Jun
70° / 37°
12 wet
Jul
81° / 40°
8 wet
Aug
81° / 38°
8 wet
Sep
70° / 32°
9 wet
Oct
54° / 26°
11 wet
Nov
38° / 18°
13 wet
Dec
29° / 10°
13 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sula 14 Ne, MT, 32.8 mi away at 5,155 ft. The station sits about 500 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.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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Roaring Lion
~2 min drive
15.40-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,338 ft elevation gain.
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Goat Mountain Trail
~4 min drive
2.4-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,742 ft gain and 5,907 ft max elevation.
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Blodgett Overlook
~5 min drive
2.79-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 544 ft elevation gain.
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Big Sand Lake Trail
~16 min drive
28.44-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 4,322 ft gain/loss and 6,741 ft max elevation.
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Ward Mountain
~4 min drive
12.16-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 4,833 ft elevation gain.
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Canyon Creek
~5 min drive
8.94-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,874 ft elevation gain.
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Climber's Path
~7 min drive
0.88-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 788 ft elevation gain
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EAST MOOSE CREEK
~20 min drive
East Moose Creek is a 46.51-mile point-to-point trail in Idaho with 983 ft gain and 7,048 ft loss.
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Blodgett Creek
~7 min drive
14.40-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,302 ft gain.
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High Lake
~11 min drive
4.51-mile out-and-back trail to High Lake in Montana with 1,939 ft gain
