West Rosebud
Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 16.8 mi
- round trip
- 2,025 ft
- climb
- 7,885 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Is West Rosebud open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Beartooth Ranger District. It doesn't name West Rosebud, so check the source for the area it covers (14 listed).
Krueger Pond Wild Horse and Burro Gather Closure Area
Agency closure covering Beartooth Ranger District · Order 01-11-82-27-01 · USFS · Beartooth Ranger District
NFSR #1700 South Plateau Road Closure
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
Pine Grove Campground Closure
Agency closure covering Beartooth Ranger District · Order 01-11-82-26-04 · USFS · Beartooth Ranger District
Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Summer Interim Travel Order and Map and Order # 01-11-00-26-02
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · Order 01-11-00-26-02 · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Winter Interim Travel Order and Map Order Number: #01-11-00-26-01
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Beartooth Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
West Rosebud is a hard out-and-back hike in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, part of the Beartooth Ranger District of Custer Gallatin National Forest in Montana. The trail runs about 16.8 miles, with a one-way elevation gain of 2,025 feet, from a low point of 6,547 feet to a high of 7,885 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is on natural surface. Horses are allowed, but bikes are not. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Mystic Lake, which sits about 1,300 feet lower than the high point, show July highs around 75°F with lows near 50°F. That station's figures are only a guide, as temperatures on the trail run cooler. The trail is open from June 1 to September 30, and the parking area is named West Rosebud. West Rosebud Lake Fishing Access and the Phantom Lake Trail are both about 2.3 miles away. Emerald Lake Campground is about 2.7 miles off, and the Huckleberry Trail is about 2.8 miles away.
- West Rosebud Lake Fishing AccessPier fishing2.3 mi
- Phantom Lake TrailHiking2.3 mi
- Emerald Lake CampgroundCamping2.7 mi
- Huckleberry TrailHiking2.8 mi
- Phantom CreekHiking3.4 mi
- South Central RegionRock climbing5.8 mi
- Pine Grove CampgroundCamping5.8 mi
Beartooth MountainsRock climbingPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)6.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Spread CreekHiking · ~10 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)
Woodbine FallsHiking · ~19 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)- Phantom Lake TrailHiking · ~4 min drive
Stillwater RiverHiking · ~19 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)- Gorge BypassHiking · ~19 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)
- Stillwater PlateauHiking · ~15 min drive
- Phantom CreekHiking · ~6 min drive
Keyser Brown TrailHiking · ~25 min drivePhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- West FishtailHiking · ~16 min drive
- East RosebudHiking · ~10 min drive
Also worth it near here
- West Rosebud Lake Fishing AccessPier fishing · ~4 min drive
- Emerald Lake Fishing AccessLake fishing · ~5 min drive
Granite PeakSummit · ~10 min drivePhoto: jfisher2167, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Beartooth MountainsRock climbing · ~12 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
Best time to visit West Rosebud
Best months: July–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
34° / 18°
8 wet
Feb
34° / 17°
9 wet
Mar
41° / 22°
11 wet
Apr
48° / 27°
12 wet
May
57° / 35°
14 wet
Jun
66° / 43°
14 wet
Jul
75° / 50°
12 wet
Aug
74° / 50°
11 wet
Sep
65° / 42°
10 wet
Oct
52° / 32°
10 wet
Nov
40° / 24°
9 wet
Dec
33° / 18°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mystic Lake, MT, 1.1 mi away at 6,544 ft. The station sits about 1,300 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.
