Conditions are updated frequently and change nearly daily...
These are just some generals we know for sure.
Oct 9, 2026.
Today is the last nice day for a bit! Take a look at the forecast folks - SNOW!! Sat night, Sun Monday snow with up to 5-6 inches in the Red Lodge Valley, more in the high country. Be prepared for the weather if you are out this weekend.
Beartooth Highway is scheduled to close at 2:30 Today Oct 9 for the season. No travel allowed after 2:30. Chief Joseph Scenic byway into Cooke City remains open.
West Fork Road, Silver Run Road, Glacier Lake Road will remain open until the scheduled winter gate closure of Dec 1st.
Red Lodge Carnegie Library is now a Montana Fish Wildlife Parks Ambassador, and offering a place to buy MT fishing and hunting licenses on site. They also provide copies of the current fishing and hunting regulation guides. Hours are Tues thru Fri 10am to 5pm, and Sat 10am to 4pm.
Check out the Links below for Firewood cutting permits (free) and Christmas Tree Cutting Permits for Custer Gallatin National Forest - Beartooth District
Oct 23-24 Ski Swap In Billings - Metra Park Pavillion
Nov 7 - Ski Swap in Red Lodge - Beartooth Trails. At the Civic center from 11am-1pm
The Forest Service has an awesome weather website, so use the QR Code or click the green link in the info below - scroll down to the link. Detailed weather for our area campgrounds and trails.. Thanks for the Forest Service for sharing this with us!
Starting Sept 28, expect congestion with construction machinery at Parkside and Greenough campground areas.. This is an ongoing stabilization and stream habitat restoration after the 2022 Floods. Limited camping open, and limited access to the stream banks for the next few weeks.
Take a trowel and bury human poop and carry out toilet paper, or use a wag bag. Lots of surface pooping happening this September. Its gross people.....Take care of your @#$%
Hunters: Any harvested animal carcass or parts must be stored properly. Any carcass left on the ground must be more than 1/4 mile (straight line distance) from any known occupied camping area and more than 200 yards from any trail or road. These rules are in your regulations.
Red Lodge Nordic Center season passes are on sale at BeartoothTrails.org at early bird prices. Only ski the West Fork? This pass money is what is used to groom the West Fork too, so buy a pass early this season and support grooming.
Sylvan Peak is offering bear spray rentals year-round now, in partnership with Bear Aware network in the Yellowstone area. Rentals can be picked up during our business hours, or dropped off in the drop box 24 hours a day. Online reservations available, or stop in and let us help you!
RED LODGE MOUNTAIN
Opening day has been decided for the normal friday after Thanksgiving! See you all Nov 27 on the slopes of RLM!
Summer lift service has ended for the season.... get your skis ready for winter! The trails are open for hiking and biking through the fall.
Bears have been commonly seen on the trails, so pack bear spray.
Silver Run Trails:
Very busy trail system with locals and visitors alike. Be courteous with other dog owners, pick up poop, carry bear spray. Both black bear and grizzly have been seen. Moose are also a very common sight.
West Fork/Sundance Pass: The trail to Quinnebaugh will be good hiking to the meadows, the creek crossing in the meadow is good to get across by hopping the rocks. Moose and Porcupines have been common in the meadows.. keep dogs under control!
Basin Lakes Trail: Trail to both lakes is in good shape, Lots of bear sign - torn up tree stumps, rolled over big rocks etc...
Timberline Lake : Trail is good to Timberline. Hunters like this area, so wear bright colors.
Nichols Creek Trails:
Upper Nichols is beautiful with fall colors. Daily bear sightings, so be aware and keep control of your dogs.
Palisades Trail:
Colors are exploding here! This is the prime trail for Aspen colors in the fall, so go check it out in the next few weeks!
This is a multi use trail, so expect Mountain Bikes, Horses, hikers, runners Bears have been seen often here lately. There is a momma grizzly and two cubs plus a couple of different black bears seen frequently
Lake Fork Trail/ Sundance Pass:
Bear activity - keep a very clean camp. Keyser Brown lake has been very popular with campers this summer, and is seeing some garbage, fire rings, and food not stored properly, so be aware of bears in your camp, thanks to your previously messy campers!
Beartrack Trail:
Momma bear and Cubs have been seen frequently lately...
Be aware of hunters headed up to the plateau - wear bright colors.
Glacier Lake Road:
Gate is open to the trailhead . Road may be impassable with Sunday's snowstorm, so be aware.
Hellroaring road is is good condition and passable by vehicle to the new bridges. There is room for about 4 or 5 vehicles to park at the new bridge area. Road beyond the bridges is very rough, only high clearance 4WD vehicles! Make sure your vehicle can handle the last section of this road, and pack your own flat repair! Its a long recovery for a tow truck...........
East Rosebud/ Beaten Path
Road is good to the lake. Campground is closed for services (water, outhouses) but be open to self sufficient campers. Lots of construction vehicles on the road to the Lake - the big bridge about 2 miles before the Lake is being rebuilt after the flood.
A reminder - camping on lake shores is not legal, you must be 200ft away from the lake. Camping at Elk can be found to the left (west) of the lake through the little meadow and up in the trees. People have been camping on the beach, and lighting fires in the trees right on the lakeshore, so don't be that person. Try to stay clear of camping in the Meadow at Rainbow - it just recovered from over use during pre-flood years, and lets keep it beautiful. The one "campsite" at Rimrock right on the lakeshore is not a legal campsite........
Please be aware of Private lands surrounding East Rosebud Lake - The boat ramp area is private land, and is closed for public access for the season. Thanks to East Rosebud Lake Association for the public access to the boat ramp during the summer months.
Red Lodge Creek Trail:
Trail is in good shape, creek crossings are dropping and do able by hopping the rocks. Grizzly bear use area. Be aware of hunters in this area, and wear bright colors
Mystic Lake/ West Rosebud:
Trail is in good shape to Mystic. Huckleberry creek has a brand new bridge , along with the little creeks around Huckleberry.
Mystic Lake has been hit hard with campers this summer, and unfortunately many have left messes like human poop, trash, structures and things built out of logs, lots of illegally placed fire rings. Please pick up after yourselves and others.. There is no magical fairy that picks up your mess, and it draws the bears in for sure.
Maurice Creek, -
Maurice Creek trail is open after the fire closure. Be aware of burned areas and standing dead trees.
Corral Creek
trail is open, and good to go as trees have been cut out all the way to the plateau.
Face of the Mountain
- Trail is open after the fire closure, and trail crews have been at work cutting and clearing trees. Trail is in good shape - Forest Service and ABWF crews have been doing a ton of trail building work this last week.
Not a ton of bear sign, but be bear aware...
Sioux Charley - Trail to the lake is in great shape. The gorge section is closed still from flood damage, but cut across trail is in good shape. You may hear blasting from the trail crews at work on repairing the trail here.
Clarks Fork Canyon - very warm on the sunny days!
Elk Basin - Dry warm mountain biking, hiking and trail running. Carry lots of water!
Dead Indian Trail - Sunlight Basin - doable for longer hiking but very very hot on hot days. Carry bear spray
WeatherMan Draw/ Pryors: Some great fall hiking - watch conditions and avoid these areas after rain as the mud turns to gumbo and cars get stuck quickly... Very very hot on hot days. Carry lots of water
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.
Give us a call at (406) 446-1770 if you're looking for a more current or specific trail report!
If you would like a more detailed weekly report Please Sign up for Emailed Trail conditions by Filling out the form below.
If you would like a more detailed weekly report Please Sign up for Emailed Trail conditions by Filling out the form below.