Conditions are updated frequently and change nearly daily...
These are just some generals we know for sure.
Oct 17, 2025
Beartooth Highway on the Wyoming side is officially closed for the season. Red Lodge to Parkside campground remains open, and Cooke City to the Chief Joseph turnoff (The Plug) remains open. Access to Cooke City Silver Gate and Yellowstone is still open via Hwy 296 - Chief Joseph Highway - into Cooke City from the Cody side. Be prepared for winter driving conditions.
Red Lodge Mountain is working on some parking lot Construction, so expect heavy traffic and disturbance at the junction of the Willow Creek Trail and Red Lodge Mountain road.
Beartooth Ranger District office is closed during the Federal Government Shutdown.
Rifle Hunting season starts Saturday the 23rd. Please be aware, hike with bright colors, and good luck to the hunters! Rifle Youth hunt days are this week, Oct 16 and 17
The Bridge at Rimrock lake on the East Rosebud Trail has been set by the contractors, and the trail is coming to completion, from the 2022 major flood damage. Photos below. Please thank the Forest Service trail crews for the dedicated work on this project.
Bears are still very active - carry bear spray. Bears don't have a set timeline to "hibernate", it simply depends on their food sources and snow. Grizzly and Black Bears have been spotted on trails recently.
Carry a trowel or better yet, WAG Bags, for human poop. Do not leave human poop and toilet paper on the surface of any ground... (Feel free to ask us about Wag Bags and how easy it is to use them)
QUICK UPDATES/ ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Oct 24/25th - Silver Run Ski Swap - Billings Metra Expo Building
Nov 1/2nd - Bozeman/Bridger Ski Foundation Ski Swap - Bozeman Fairgrounds
Nov 8th - Beartooth Trails Ski Swap - Red Lodge Civic Center
Nov 14/15 Cody Gear Swap - Cody High School Activity Center
Campground closure dates:
Basin Campground - Closed Sept 29.
Cascade Campground - Closed Sept 22nd
Parkside Campground - Closed Sept 29
LimberPine Campground - Closed Sept 22
Sheridan Campground/ Rattin Campground - Closed Sept 22
Greenough Campground - Closed Oct 1
Beartooth Lake/ Island Lake Campgrounds: Closed for the Season
Palisades Campground - remains open until deep snow
MK Campground - open until the Gate Closes on Glacier Lake road
There will be no servicing of outhouses etc at trailheads and campgrounds due to Government Shutdown.
Hellroaring road up to the bridge, and Hellroaring bridge have been repaired and the road is back open as of 08/21/25. The upper road is still pretty horrible, so high clearance vehicle, or ATV only. Please have a device with you for communication - Search and Rescue will not be able to get to you easily!
March 1 - Forest Service requires proper food storage for camping and backcountry use. Be sure to know how to properly hang a food bag, store in a bear box, or store in a cooler inside a locked vehicle.
Red Lodge Mountain:
Red Lodge Mountain Summer Operations have ended for the season... Lifts will start turning again on November 28. Hiking and mountain biking on the trails are still open to the public.
Silver Run Trails: Little black bears, and moose have been commonly spotted lately. Make sure to leash, or keep dogs in control. Be very moose aware... they can charge. Multi use trail with Bikes and horses, so be aware and use the trail clockwise - as in, go left at the first intersection. Watch for hunters - archery season is now.
Basin Trail
Beautiful colors - trails have snow and ice in the shadows.
TimberLine Trail
Trail is in good shape... Expect horses on this trail. Watch for archery hunters. Expect snow and ice in the shadows and as you get closer to the lakes.
Nichols Creek Trails:
Upper trail from RLM is in good shape. Bear sightings are frequent these days... Upper trails will have snow and ice. Expect heavy machinery in the Lower Parking Lot area of Red Lodge Mountain..
Palisades Trail:
Colors are exploding on Palisades so hurry and get some great photos, Fox Lane side! This is a multi use trail, so expect Mountain Bikes, Horses, hikers, runners and dogs. Small black bear spotted on a regular basis - as well as lots of moose.
Lake Fork Trail:
Be very moose aware.. Lots of people and dogs, please pick up after yourself... Beautiful fall colors, the ice and snow start up about Lost Lake.
West Fork Trail:
Road is open to the trailhead. There is some snow at the trailhead, so expect ice on the trail . Lots of rain and sleet this week, so the road could be a mess.
Glacier Lake Road:
Glacier Lake Road is open to the trailhead. Some ice on the road, a little snow at the trailhead. Expect Ice and snow on the trail
Hell roaring plateau road is now open to the top trail head, with the construction of the new bridge, and new road up to the bridge. The road above the bridge is still in rough shape.. High clearance vehicle highly suggested. Make sure you have flat tire repair equipment.
Face of the Mountain:
Face of the Mountain trails are in good shape.. Carry Bear Spray! Lots of Bear poop. Hike in groups. Pay attention to road conditions.. this road can be very muddy after a rain.
East Rosebud:
The search for the missing hiker swept over the falls in June has ended, with the body recovery on Sept 23rd. Many thanks to the thousands of hours of search personnel and dogs this summer….
Beaten Path Update:
Rimrock bridge has been placed, and is functional! Definitely a huge project, and thankful to all of those involved in the process. Next year may be very busy on this trail, so please plan around larger crowds, heavier use, and make sure to keep the area pristine.
Mystic Lake/ West Rosebud:
Trail is in good shape to Mystic. Huckleberry creek bridge was washed out, so crossing can be tricky, but do-able if you are continuing around the Lake. Huckleberry creek bridge replacement is in progress.
Stillwater
Stillwater to West Stillwater is in good trail condition. Stillwater to Cooke City is also a great longer trip, and do able.
Pay attention to road construction timeline and daily closures on the Stillwater road near woodbine campground.
Woodbine Falls Bridge : The brand new bridge is in place, and the trail is open again to Woodbine Falls!
Sylvan Peak is back to normal fall/winter hours 9AM to 6PM 7 days a week.
Beartooth Ranger District:
Please call the Beartooth Ranger District at 406-446-2103 or stop by the office in Red Lodge 8am to 4:30 pm weekdays with questions. (office hours for the Forest Service will be limited or not at all during the Federal Government Shutdown)
Beartooth Highway on the Wyoming side is officially closed for the season. Red Lodge to Parkside campground remains open, and Cooke City to the Chief Joseph turnoff (The Plug) remains open. Access to Cooke City Silver Gate and Yellowstone is still open via Hwy 296 - Chief Joseph Highway - into Cooke City from the Cody side. Be prepared for winter driving conditions.
Red Lodge Mountain is working on some parking lot Construction, so expect heavy traffic and disturbance at the junction of the Willow Creek Trail and Red Lodge Mountain road.
Beartooth Ranger District office is closed during the Federal Government Shutdown.
Rifle Hunting season starts Saturday the 23rd. Please be aware, hike with bright colors, and good luck to the hunters! Rifle Youth hunt days are this week, Oct 16 and 17
The Bridge at Rimrock lake on the East Rosebud Trail has been set by the contractors, and the trail is coming to completion, from the 2022 major flood damage. Photos below. Please thank the Forest Service trail crews for the dedicated work on this project.
Bears are still very active - carry bear spray. Bears don't have a set timeline to "hibernate", it simply depends on their food sources and snow. Grizzly and Black Bears have been spotted on trails recently.
Carry a trowel or better yet, WAG Bags, for human poop. Do not leave human poop and toilet paper on the surface of any ground... (Feel free to ask us about Wag Bags and how easy it is to use them)
QUICK UPDATES/ ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Oct 24/25th - Silver Run Ski Swap - Billings Metra Expo Building
Nov 1/2nd - Bozeman/Bridger Ski Foundation Ski Swap - Bozeman Fairgrounds
Nov 8th - Beartooth Trails Ski Swap - Red Lodge Civic Center
Nov 14/15 Cody Gear Swap - Cody High School Activity Center
Campground closure dates:
Basin Campground - Closed Sept 29.
Cascade Campground - Closed Sept 22nd
Parkside Campground - Closed Sept 29
LimberPine Campground - Closed Sept 22
Sheridan Campground/ Rattin Campground - Closed Sept 22
Greenough Campground - Closed Oct 1
Beartooth Lake/ Island Lake Campgrounds: Closed for the Season
Palisades Campground - remains open until deep snow
MK Campground - open until the Gate Closes on Glacier Lake road
There will be no servicing of outhouses etc at trailheads and campgrounds due to Government Shutdown.
Hellroaring road up to the bridge, and Hellroaring bridge have been repaired and the road is back open as of 08/21/25. The upper road is still pretty horrible, so high clearance vehicle, or ATV only. Please have a device with you for communication - Search and Rescue will not be able to get to you easily!
March 1 - Forest Service requires proper food storage for camping and backcountry use. Be sure to know how to properly hang a food bag, store in a bear box, or store in a cooler inside a locked vehicle.
Red Lodge Mountain:
Red Lodge Mountain Summer Operations have ended for the season... Lifts will start turning again on November 28. Hiking and mountain biking on the trails are still open to the public.
Silver Run Trails: Little black bears, and moose have been commonly spotted lately. Make sure to leash, or keep dogs in control. Be very moose aware... they can charge. Multi use trail with Bikes and horses, so be aware and use the trail clockwise - as in, go left at the first intersection. Watch for hunters - archery season is now.
Basin Trail
Beautiful colors - trails have snow and ice in the shadows.
TimberLine Trail
Trail is in good shape... Expect horses on this trail. Watch for archery hunters. Expect snow and ice in the shadows and as you get closer to the lakes.
Nichols Creek Trails:
Upper trail from RLM is in good shape. Bear sightings are frequent these days... Upper trails will have snow and ice. Expect heavy machinery in the Lower Parking Lot area of Red Lodge Mountain..
Palisades Trail:
Colors are exploding on Palisades so hurry and get some great photos, Fox Lane side! This is a multi use trail, so expect Mountain Bikes, Horses, hikers, runners and dogs. Small black bear spotted on a regular basis - as well as lots of moose.
Lake Fork Trail:
Be very moose aware.. Lots of people and dogs, please pick up after yourself... Beautiful fall colors, the ice and snow start up about Lost Lake.
West Fork Trail:
Road is open to the trailhead. There is some snow at the trailhead, so expect ice on the trail . Lots of rain and sleet this week, so the road could be a mess.
Glacier Lake Road:
Glacier Lake Road is open to the trailhead. Some ice on the road, a little snow at the trailhead. Expect Ice and snow on the trail
Hell roaring plateau road is now open to the top trail head, with the construction of the new bridge, and new road up to the bridge. The road above the bridge is still in rough shape.. High clearance vehicle highly suggested. Make sure you have flat tire repair equipment.
Face of the Mountain:
Face of the Mountain trails are in good shape.. Carry Bear Spray! Lots of Bear poop. Hike in groups. Pay attention to road conditions.. this road can be very muddy after a rain.
East Rosebud:
The search for the missing hiker swept over the falls in June has ended, with the body recovery on Sept 23rd. Many thanks to the thousands of hours of search personnel and dogs this summer….
Beaten Path Update:
Rimrock bridge has been placed, and is functional! Definitely a huge project, and thankful to all of those involved in the process. Next year may be very busy on this trail, so please plan around larger crowds, heavier use, and make sure to keep the area pristine.
Mystic Lake/ West Rosebud:
Trail is in good shape to Mystic. Huckleberry creek bridge was washed out, so crossing can be tricky, but do-able if you are continuing around the Lake. Huckleberry creek bridge replacement is in progress.
Stillwater
Stillwater to West Stillwater is in good trail condition. Stillwater to Cooke City is also a great longer trip, and do able.
Pay attention to road construction timeline and daily closures on the Stillwater road near woodbine campground.
Woodbine Falls Bridge : The brand new bridge is in place, and the trail is open again to Woodbine Falls!
Sylvan Peak is back to normal fall/winter hours 9AM to 6PM 7 days a week.
Beartooth Ranger District:
Please call the Beartooth Ranger District at 406-446-2103 or stop by the office in Red Lodge 8am to 4:30 pm weekdays with questions. (office hours for the Forest Service will be limited or not at all during the Federal Government Shutdown)
Give us a call at (406) 446-1770 if you're looking for a more current or specific trail report!
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If you would like a more detailed weekly report Please Sign up for Emailed Trail conditions by Filling out the form below.