Madison River Area
- 7 routes
- V2 – V8+
- Bouldering
- Apr–Oct
- best months
The Madison River Area is a climbing area in Montana's Lee Metcalf Wilderness, managed by the Bureau of Land Management's Dillon Field Office. It sits within the wilderness, so plan on backcountry conditions. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 85°F with lows in the mid-50s, while winter brings highs in the upper 30s and a few snowy days each month from December through February. Bear Trap Boulder and the Bear Trap Canyon Trail are both about 3 miles away. The Flying Buttress Boulders lie roughly 4 miles off, and Trapper Springs Campground is about 6 miles away.
Best time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit Madison River Area
Best months: April–October. 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
39° / 24°
5 wet · 4 snow
Feb
42° / 24°
6 wet · 3 snow
Mar
50° / 30°
7 wet · 3 snow
Apr
57° / 36°
10 wet · 1 snow
May
66° / 43°
12 wet
Jun
75° / 50°
11 wet
Jul
85° / 57°
8 wet
Aug
85° / 56°
7 wet
Sep
75° / 48°
6 wet
Oct
60° / 39°
7 wet · 1 snow
Nov
47° / 30°
6 wet · 2 snow
Dec
38° / 23°
6 wet · 4 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Norris Madison Pwr House, MT, 3.3 mi away at 4,745 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Routes (7)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
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Bear Trap Boulder
~5 min drive
Bear Trap Boulder is a Montana bouldering crag with 5 routes.
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Flying Buttress Boulders
~7 min drive
14 bouldering routes at Flying Buttress Boulders in Montana, 9 difficulty grades.
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Bear Trap Road Routes
~8 min drive
3 routes at Bear Trap Road Routes in Montana range from easy to hard and offer sport and trad options.
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Winter Wall
~8 min drive
Winter Wall in Montana has 30 climbing routes ranging across 16 difficulty grades.
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Crew Crag
~8 min drive
Crew Crag in Montana has 5 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
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Roadside Boulder
~8 min drive
Roadside Boulder in Montana has 7 bouldering routes on 4 difficulty grades.
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Diamond & Roadside Area
~8 min drive
Diamond & Roadside Area in Montana has 4 climbing routes with bouldering pads.
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Neat Rock Main Formation
~13 min drive
Neat Rock Main Formation in Montana has 6 climbing routes across 4 grades.
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Wind Boulder
~13 min drive
Wind Boulder in Montana has 9 bouldering routes across 8 grades.
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Neat Rock Bouldering
~13 min drive
Neat Rock Bouldering in Montana has 31 bouldering routes across 12 difficulty grades.
