Temple Gulch
- 9.0 mi
- round trip
- 1,432 ft
- climb
- 5,570 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Caution at last check
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 16 h ago
Is Temple Gulch 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.
Temple Gulch is a hard hike in the Belt Creek-White Sulphur Springs Ranger District of Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana. It is a 9-mile out-and-back route with a total elevation gain of 1,432 feet, climbing from about 4,095 feet to roughly 5,570 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year round. Bikes and horses are both allowed on this natural-surface trail. It is not an accessible route. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July and August highs reach about 80°F with lows in the mid-40s, based on averages from a nearby weather station at Millegan. That station sits roughly 600 feet below the trail's high point, so temperatures up high run a little cooler. Parker Ridge is about a mile away, and Strawberry Ridge and Smith River are both within 2 miles. Monument Peak Lookout, a campground, is about 6.5 miles off.
- Parker RidgeHiking1 mi
- Strawberry RidgeHiking1.6 mi
- Smith RiverHiking1.9 mi
- N Fk Deep CreekHiking2 mi
- Old BaldyHiking3.1 mi
- Bear GulchHiking3.9 mi
- Monument Peak LookoutCamping6.5 mi
- Logging Creek CgCamping9.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Memorial FallsHiking · ~45 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)- Strawberry RidgeHiking · ~3 min drive
- Bear GulchHiking · ~7 min drive
- Figure 8 Loop NRTHiking · ~12 min drive
- Parker RidgeHiking · ~2 min drive
- N Fk Deep CreekHiking · ~3 min drive
- Double GulchHiking · ~7 min drive
- MONUMENT RIDGEHiking · ~10 min drive
- STRAWBERRY RIDGEHiking · ~4 min drive
- Deep Creek RidgeHiking · ~9 min drive
Best time to visit Temple Gulch
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
33° / 11°
8 wet
Feb
35° / 12°
7 wet
Mar
44° / 20°
9 wet
Apr
52° / 26°
11 wet
May
61° / 34°
13 wet
Jun
70° / 41°
12 wet
Jul
80° / 46°
9 wet
Aug
80° / 45°
7 wet
Sep
69° / 37°
6 wet
Oct
54° / 28°
7 wet
Nov
41° / 18°
7 wet
Dec
32° / 11°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Millegan 14 Se, MT, 12.6 mi away at 4,970 ft. The station sits about 600 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.
