Clarks Fork Trail
- 34.5 mi
- round trip
- 649 ft
- climb
- 7,041 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Clarks Fork Trail open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Shoshone National Forest.
Morrison Jeep Trail
Agency alert covering Shoshone National Forest · USFS · Shoshone National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Shoshone National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Clarks Fork Trail is a 34.5-mile out-and-back hike in Wyoming's Shoshone National Forest, within the Clarks Fork Ranger District. The trail rises from about 6,000 feet to a high point of 7,041 feet, with a total elevation gain of 649 feet. It is a hard route, and the Forest Service manages the land. The trail is accessible and has a natural surface. Bikes and horses are both allowed, so it works for riders and pack animals as well as hikers. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Silver Gate, Montana, show July highs around 74°F with lows near 40°F, while winter highs stay in the 20s. The Clarks Fork Trailhead is the starting point, and the parking area is named "CLARKS FORK." The trail is open year-round. Hunter Peak campground sits just 0.2 miles away. The North Crandal Trail and the Kuchunteka'a Naokwaide Trail are both about 2.3 miles off, and the Lodge Pole Trail is about 2.8 miles away.
Best time to go · Jun–Aug
Best time to visit Clarks Fork Trail
Best months: June–August. 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
27° / 3°
Feb
30° / 5°
Mar
39° / 12°
Apr
44° / 20°
May
55° / 29°
Jun
65° / 35°
Jul
74° / 40°
Aug
73° / 37°
Sep
64° / 30°
Oct
50° / 23°
Nov
33° / 12°
Dec
24° / 2°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Silver Gate, MT, 18 mi away at 7,495 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Beartooth Loop
~15 min drive
8.72-mile out-and-back trail in Wyoming with 592 ft gain
Glacier Lake Trail
~17 min drive
0.6-mile out-and-back hike to Glacier Lake in Montana
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Glacier Lake
~18 min drive
4.31-mile out-and-back trail to Glacier Lake in Montana with 1,202 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Kuchunteka'a Naokwaide Trail
~4 min drive
7.86-mile out-and-back hike in Wyoming with 1,596 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Clay Butte Cutoff Trail
~10 min drive
1.14-mile out-and-back trail in Wyoming with 414 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Moon Lake Trail
~19 min drive
4.02-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,019 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Reef Cr. Trail
~9 min drive
12.76-mile out-and-back trail in Wyoming with 2,948 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Clarks Fork Cuttoff Trail
~11 min drive
2.63-mile out-and-back hike in Wyoming with 29 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Crandal Cut Off
~5 min drive
3.14-mile out-and-back trail in Wyoming with 44 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
UPPER GRANITE LOOP TRAIL
~10 min drive
13.98-mile out-and-back trail in Wyoming with 3,221 ft elevation gain and loss.