Montana · Hiking

Spring Gulch

Spring GulchPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)
3.6 mi
round trip
450 ft
climb
4,092 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jul–Oct
best months

Is Spring Gulch 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.

Spring Gulch is a 3.6-mile out-and-back hike in the Missoula Ranger District of Lolo National Forest in western Montana, managed by the Forest Service. The trail rises about 450 feet from a low point of 3,643 feet to a high of 4,092 feet, and it is rated moderate. The route is natural-surfaced and open to bikes, so it works for hikers and mountain bikers alike. The trailhead is at the Rattlesnake Horse Trailhead, and the trail is open year-round. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Missoula show July and August highs around 84 to 85°F with lows near 50°F and only about seven wet days a month. That station sits roughly 670 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. Several other routes start close by. Rattlesnake Creek Cutoff A and B are about 0.1 mile away, Stuart Peak is 0.2 mile off, and Sawmill Gulch Wooten Ranch is 0.5 mile away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jul–Oct

    Best time to visit Spring Gulch

    Best months: July–October. 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

      34° / 20°

      14 wet · 10 snow

    2. Feb

      39° / 22°

      11 wet · 8 snow

    3. Mar

      49° / 27°

      13 wet · 6 snow

    4. Apr

      57° / 33°

      12 wet · 2 snow

    5. May

      67° / 41°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      73° / 47°

      13 wet

    7. Jul

      85° / 52°

      7 wet

    8. Aug

      84° / 51°

      7 wet

    9. Sep

      73° / 44°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      56° / 34°

      10 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      41° / 26°

      12 wet · 6 snow

    12. Dec

      33° / 20°

      14 wet · 10 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Missoula 2 Ne, MT, 2.4 mi away at 3,420 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

RATTLESNAKE CREEK CUTOFF APhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

RATTLESNAKE CREEK CUTOFF A

Next door

1.94-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 379 ft gain/loss.

Stuart PeakPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Stuart Peak

Next door

26.06-mile out-and-back trail to Stuart Peak in Montana with 7,461 ft of elevation gain.

SAWMILL GULCH CUTOFF DPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

SAWMILL GULCH CUTOFF D

~2 min drive

2.36-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,250 ft gain/loss and max elevation 4,810 ft.

Sawmill Gulch Wooten RanchPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Sawmill Gulch Wooten Ranch

Next door

2.68-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 324 ft gain.

Rattlesnake CreekPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Rattlesnake Creek

Next door

28.25-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,641 ft of elevation gain.

Three LarchesPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Three Larches

~3 min drive

4.38-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 508 ft elevation gain.

Missoula RattlesnakePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Missoula Rattlesnake

~2 min drive

1.30-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 57 ft of elevation gain.

Sheep MountainPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Sheep Mountain

~2 min drive

28.25-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 3,314 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Curry

~1 min drive

3.79-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 729 ft elevation gain.

Curry CutoffPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Curry Cutoff

~2 min drive

0.88-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 110 ft of elevation gain.