Bear Creek
Bear Creek Trail is a 12 miles trail in Bitterroot National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it. It enters Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Bitterroot National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 46.3798, -114.2529 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 46.4351, -114.3779 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 3 segments.
The trail
| Length | 12 miles, of which 1.2 miles evaluated accessible |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent, 5-8 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Accessibility | At least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 5, TRD 73693 |
| Forest | Bitterroot National Forest (unit 0103) |
| States | Montana |
| Detail published | basic characteristics |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Wilderness
- Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness WildernessFS · about 74% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
No season published · listed none | 0 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- WildfireNorth Fork Lost Horse
17 mi from the trail midpoint · 118 acres · 70% contained
- WildfireNature Grove
26 mi from the trail midpoint · 1,422 acres · 0% contained
- WildfireBlack Bear
27 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,126 acres · 80% contained
- WildfireBear Gulch
28 mi from the trail midpoint · 10 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Bear Creek Trail?
12 miles, the sum of the 3 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Bitterroot National Forest. 1.2 miles of that are evaluated as accessible.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Bear Creek Trail?
Bitterroot National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.
Where does the Bear Creek Trail start?
The line begins at 46.3798, -114.2529 and ends at 46.4351, -114.3779. The nearest recorded trailhead is Bear Creek Trailhead, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Bear Creek Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Bear Creek Trail?
Crazy Creek Campground (0.8 mi), Warm Springs Campground (1.8 mi) and Medicine Point Lookout (1.9 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Bear Creek Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Bear Creek Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent on most segments and 5-8 percent on others. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Bear Creek Trail accessible?
The Forest Service has evaluated 1.2 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is native material.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Bear Creek Trail?
Bitterroot National Forest, Forest Service unit 0103. The trail is in Montana.
Is there a fire near the Bear Creek Trail?
4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest North Fork Lost Horse at 17 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 3 segments named BEAR CREEK in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0103. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.