Montana · Hiking · Bob Marshall Wilderness

Windfall Creek

9.7 mi
round trip
1,244 ft
climb
6,184 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Windfall Creek open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists an alert for Rocky Mountain Ranger District.

As of · Source: USFS · Rocky Mountain Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Windfall Creek is a hard hike in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, part of the Rocky Mountain Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a natural-surface out-and-back that climbs from about 4,800 feet to about 6,200 feet over roughly 9.7 miles. The one-way gain is 1,244 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Gibson Dam weather station, which sits about 1,600 feet lower, show July highs near 79°F with lows around 45°F. That station's figures are not directly comparable to the trail's higher elevation, so expect cooler temperatures on the ridge. The trail is not accessible. Horses are allowed, and bikes are not. Goat Creek and Bear Creek are both within about a mile and a half, and the Moose-Furman hike is about 1.5 miles away. Mortimer Gulch Campground is about 5.5 miles off.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Windfall Creek

    Best months: May–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.

    1. Jan

      36° / 12°

      5 wet

    2. Feb

      36° / 12°

      6 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 18°

      7 wet

    4. Apr

      50° / 25°

      7 wet

    5. May

      59° / 33°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      67° / 39°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      79° / 45°

      7 wet

    8. Aug

      78° / 43°

      6 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 36°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 29°

      6 wet

    11. Nov

      42° / 20°

      5 wet

    12. Dec

      35° / 13°

      5 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gibson Dam, MT, 6.2 mi away at 4,590 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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.