Skyline 2
- 1.1 mi
- round trip
- 218 ft
- climb
- 5,526 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 4 h ago
Is Skyline 2 open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Skyline 2 is an easy out-and-back hike in Montana's Helena Ranger District, part of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. The trail is short, about a mile long, and gains about 220 feet from a low point of 5,300 feet to a high of 5,526 feet. It sits on natural-surface trail and is managed by the Forest Service, with bikes allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. A nearby weather station records typical July and August highs around 78°F with lows in the upper 40s, while temperatures on the trail run a bit cooler than that station's figures. The trail is open year-round. The closest neighbor is Skyline 1, about a tenth of a mile away, and Skyline 3 is half a mile off. A little farther out are the Skelly Gulch hike and the South Buttress climbing area, both about 4 miles away.
Local outfitters
- MTBCity11 mi away
- Copper Court RV Park47 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Skyline 1Hiking0.1 mi
- Skyline 3Hiking0.5 mi
- Skelly GulchHiking4 mi
- South ButtressRock climbing4.2 mi
- La CantinaRock climbing4.2 mi
- The Landing ZoneRock climbing4.2 mi
- Tenmile CreekCanoeing8.4 mi
- Moose Creek CampgroundCamping8.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Le Grande Cannon TrailHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: ericmerrill, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Old Chevy TrailHiking · ~19 min drivePhoto: ericmerrill, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Switchback RidgeHiking · ~14 min drive
- Diretissima TrailHiking · ~19 min drivePhoto: ericmerrill, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
West Ridge TrailHiking · ~19 min drivePhoto: ericmerrill, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Negro Mt 1Hiking · ~19 min drive
- Prairie TrailHiking · ~19 min drivePhoto: ericmerrill, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- West End TrailHiking · ~19 min drivePhoto: ericmerrill, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Clarks CanyonHiking · ~13 min drive
- Skelly GulchHiking · ~7 min drive
Best time to visit Skyline 2
Best months: May–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
30° / 12°
6 wet
Feb
32° / 13°
6 wet
Mar
41° / 19°
7 wet
Apr
50° / 26°
8 wet
May
60° / 35°
9 wet
Jun
68° / 42°
9 wet
Jul
78° / 49°
6 wet
Aug
78° / 47°
6 wet
Sep
67° / 39°
6 wet
Oct
51° / 30°
6 wet
Nov
37° / 19°
6 wet
Dec
29° / 13°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Austin 1 W, MT, 1.1 mi away at 4,851 ft. The station sits about 700 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.
