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Waterfall

Pioneer Falls

Montana

About

Pioneer Falls is a waterfall in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, part of the Bozeman Ranger District of Custer Gallatin National Forest in Montana. The nearest town is Big Sky, about 11.5 miles away. The falls sit at roughly 6,765 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Big Sky put July highs around 78°F with lows near 41°F, and September highs around 68°F. The Falls Creek hike starts just 0.3 miles away, and the Spanish Lakes hike is about 1.4 miles off. Spanish Creek Cabin offers camping about 2.9 miles away, and climbers can head to Beehive Peak, roughly 4.2 miles away.

Waterfall Facts

Elevation

6,765 ft

Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).

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Location

Pioneer Falls

Montana

Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Jun–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 67–78°F and lows of 33–41°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Big Sky 2wnw, MT weather station, 10 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan30° high9° low
  2. Feb34° high9° low
  3. Mar42° high17° low
  4. Apr48° high23° low
  5. May58° high30° low
  6. Jun67° high36° low
  7. Jul78° high41° low
  8. Aug77° high39° low
  9. Sep68° high33° low
  10. Oct53° high25° low
  11. Nov37° high16° low
  12. Dec27° high9° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Big Sky, Montana · 12 mi

Source: Wilderness.net boundaries; USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Bozeman Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Pioneer Falls open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Custer Gallatin National Forest. It doesn't name Pioneer Falls, so check the source for the area it covers (15 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Pioneer Falls

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.

  1. Jan

    30° / 9°

    13 wet

  2. Feb

    34° / 9°

    11 wet

  3. Mar

    42° / 17°

    12 wet

  4. Apr

    48° / 23°

    11 wet

  5. May

    58° / 30°

    14 wet

  6. Jun

    67° / 36°

    14 wet

  7. Jul

    78° / 41°

    11 wet

  8. Aug

    77° / 39°

    11 wet

  9. Sep

    68° / 33°

    10 wet

  10. Oct

    53° / 25°

    10 wet

  11. Nov

    37° / 16°

    11 wet

  12. Dec

    27° / 9°

    14 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Big Sky 2wnw, MT, 10.3 mi away at 6,590 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.