Tenderfoot
- 46.9 mi
- round trip
- 690 ft
- climb
- 6,492 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Tenderfoot 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.
Tenderfoot is a long, out-and-back hike in the Belt Creek-White Sulphur Springs Ranger District of Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in western Montana. The trail is about 46.9 miles long and rises roughly 690 feet from its low point of about 4,157 feet to a high of around 6,492 feet. It is a hard hike by any measure, with a natural surface that allows horses and bikes. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Millegan show July and August highs around 80°F with lows in the mid-40s, while temperatures up high run cooler than that station's figures. Winters are cold, with January highs near 33°F and lows around 11°F. The trail is not accessible. Nearby options include Rugby Creek, about 3.2 miles away, and Monument Peak Lookout, about 3.7 miles away, both within a few miles. Long Coulee and the Figure 8 Loop NRT are also close by, and Calf Creek Cabin offers camping about 9 miles off.
- RUGBY CREEKHiking3.2 mi
- Monument Peak LookoutCamping3.7 mi
- Long CouleeHiking4.6 mi
- S FK DEEP CREEKHiking4.7 mi
- Bald HillsHiking5 mi
- Figure 8 Loop NRTHiking5.5 mi
- Calf Creek CabinCamping9 mi
- Logging Creek CgCamping9.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Memorial FallsHiking · ~29 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)- RUGBY CREEKHiking · ~6 min drive
- Long CouleeHiking · ~8 min drive
- Figure 8 Loop NRTHiking · ~9 min drive
- Tenderfoot Falls OverlookHiking · ~10 min drive
- S FK DEEP CREEKHiking · ~8 min drive
- Bald HillsHiking · ~9 min drive
- MONUMENT RIDGEHiking · ~10 min drive
- Deep Creek RidgeHiking · ~10 min drive
- Old BaldyHiking · ~13 min drive
Best time to visit Tenderfoot
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, 8.4 mi away at 4,970 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.
