Ward Mountain
- 12.2 mi
- round trip
- 4,833 ft
- climb
- 9,119 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Ward Mountain 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. 3
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.
Ward Mountain is a hard hike on the Forest Service's Bitterroot National Forest, within the Darby Ranger District of western Montana. The trail is an out-and-back route of about 12 miles, rising from a low point of roughly 4,300 feet to a high point of about 9,100 feet. That makes the elevation gain about 4,800 feet, so plan on a long, steep day with a significant climb. The Ward Mountain Trailhead is the starting point, and the trail itself is natural surface rather than developed, which adds to the challenge. The closest neighbor is Goat Mountain Trail, about 0.1 mile away, and Roaring Lion and Sawtooth are both within about 3 miles. For an overnight base, Blodgett Campground sits about 5.6 miles away, and climbers can head to the Pullout Boulders about 6.3 miles out.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
HIKE
Goat Mountain Trail
Next door
2.4-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,742 ft gain and 5,907 ft max elevation.
HIKE
Roaring Lion
~4 min drive
15.40-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,338 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Blodgett Overlook
~8 min drive
2.79-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 544 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Big Sand Lake Trail
~20 min drive
28.44-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 4,322 ft gain/loss and 6,741 ft max elevation.
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Canyon Creek
~9 min drive
8.94-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,874 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Sawtooth
~4 min drive
20.88-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,617 ft gain.
HIKE
RAL Trail
~9 min drive
2.04-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 235 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Leaning Pine Trail
~14 min drive
1.54-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,330 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Coyote Coulee
~8 min drive
Coyote Coulee is a 16-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 753 feet of elevation gain.
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Climber's Path
~11 min drive
0.88-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 788 ft elevation gain
Route details
- Distance
- 12.2 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 4,833 ft
- Starts at
- Ward Mountain Trailhead (about 4,288 ft)
- Summit
- 9,119 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Time
- About 6.5 hours
Getting there
Park at WARD MOUNTAIN TRAILHEAD.
Questions about this route
How long is the Ward Mountain on Ward Mountain?
About 12.2 mi round trip from Ward Mountain Trailhead (about 4,288 ft).
How much elevation gain is on the Ward Mountain?
About 4,833 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Ward Mountain?
It is rated hard.
Where does the Ward Mountain start?
Ward Mountain Trailhead (about 4,288 ft).
How long does the Ward Mountain take?
About 6.5 hours round trip.
Conditions and forecast on Ward Mountain
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.
