Sleeping Child
- 22.8 mi
- round trip
- 2,723 ft
- climb
- 7,199 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 9 h ago
Is Sleeping Child 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. 9 to 12
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.
Sleeping Child is a hard out-and-back hike in Montana's Bitterroot National Forest, on the Darby Ranger District. The trail rises from about 4,480 feet to 7,199 feet, a gain of 2,723 feet over 22.8 miles. That makes it a long and steep route, best suited to those with time and stamina for a full day on foot. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural surfaced. Two other hikes, Bald Top and Cold Spring Hill, sit just 0.4 miles away. Sleeping Child Creek, about 1.5 miles off, offers canoeing. Black Bear Campground is about 5.7 miles away for anyone planning an overnight stay.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
HIKE
Bald Top
Next door
15.10-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,387 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Cold Spring Hill
Next door
5.25-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,664 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Sawdust Gulch
~4 min drive
2.60-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 928 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
WEASEL CREEK
~13 min drive
4.92-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 5,021 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Cross Country
~4 min drive
16.64-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,701 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
White Stallion Camp
~6 min drive
4-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 68 ft gain and 1,197 ft loss.
HIKE
Corral
~14 min drive
1.33-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 137 ft gain
HIKE
SNOW TRAIL 75
~13 min drive
30.58-mile point-to-point trail in Montana with 2,899 ft gain and 7,489 ft max elevation.
HIKE
Buttercup Trail
~4 min drive
12.36-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 3,473 ft elevation gain and 6,120 ft max elevation.
HIKE
Bald Top-Sleeping Child
~8 min drive
4.91-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,620 ft elevation gain.