Star Gulch
- 10.2 mi
- round trip
- 2,081 ft
- climb
- 6,166 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Star Gulch open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Kootenai National Forest. It doesn't name Star Gulch, so check the source for the area it covers.
Kootenai Flood Event & Inaccessible Areas
Agency closure covering Kootenai National Forest · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
Updated Skillet Fire Area, Road, Trail Closure
Agency alert covering Kootenai National Forest · Order 01-10- · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Kootenai National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Star Gulch is a hard hike of about 10 miles in the Cabinet Ranger District of Montana's Kootenai National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is an out-and-back with a total elevation gain of about 2,080 feet, from a low point of roughly 2,360 feet to a high of about 6,160 feet. The route is natural-surfaced and allows horses. Bikes are not permitted, and the trail is not accessible. Several other spots sit within a few miles. The Historic Big Eddy and Big Eddy hikes are each about 2 miles away, and Big Eddy Campground is about 2.3 miles off. Bad Medicine Campground is about 4.4 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Kootenai River Campground28 mi away
- CDA River RV43 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)ROSS CREEK X-C SKI
~14 min drive
6.56-mile out-and-back ski trail in Montana with 1,678 ft elevation gain
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Big Eddy
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Dry Creek
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7.46-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 121 ft gain.
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Spar Peak
~17 min drive
6.81-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,959 ft elevation gain.
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Historic Big Eddy
~3 min drive
4.68-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,718 ft gain.
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West Fork Dry Creek
~10 min drive
14.40-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 185 ft elevation gain.
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Bull River Campground Fishing
~10 min drive
1.00-mile out-and-back fishing trail at Bull River Campground in Montana.
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Napoleon Gulch
~4 min drive
5.51-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,896 ft of elevation gain.
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Pillick Ridge
~10 min drive
21.38-mile out-and-back trail on Pillick Ridge in Montana with 1,907 ft gain.
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South Fork Ross Creek
~11 min drive
1.19-mile out-and-back trail with 749 ft gain on South Fork Ross Creek in Montana.
Route details
- Distance
- 10.2 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 2,081 ft
- Summit
- 6,166 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Time
- About 4.5 hours
Other routes up Star Peak
Questions about this route
How long is the Star Gulch on Star Peak?
About 10.2 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Star Gulch?
About 2,081 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Star Gulch?
It is rated hard.
How long does the Star Gulch take?
About 4.5 hours round trip.
How many routes go up Star Peak?
2: Big Eddy and Star Gulch.
Conditions and forecast on Star Peak
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
