Lightning-Windfall
Lightning-Windfall Trail is a 5.9 miles trail in Lolo National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1, minimally developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Lolo 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 | 46.9444, -114.9573 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 47.0233, -114.9412 · 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
| Length | 5.9 miles |
| Trail class | 1, minimally developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 620 |
| Forest | Lolo National Forest (unit 0116) |
| States | Montana |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
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
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Camping nearby
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
Fire nearby
- WildfireMoose Mountain
19 mi from the trail midpoint · 5,832 acres · 90% contained
- PrescribedRx D5 Tree Farm Piles
36 mi from the trail midpoint · 90 acres
- PrescribedRx Bear Mountain Hand Piles
38 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedRx Rescue Jensen Nfrd
46 mi from the trail midpoint
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Lightning-Windfall Trail?
5.9 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Lolo National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Lightning-Windfall Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Lightning-Windfall Trail start?
The line begins at 46.9444, -114.9573 and ends at 47.0233, -114.9412. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Lightning-Windfall Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Lightning-Windfall Trail?
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
How developed is the Lightning-Windfall Trail?
Trail class 1, which the Forest Service describes as minimally 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 Lightning-Windfall Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Lightning-Windfall Trail?
Lolo National Forest, Forest Service unit 0116. The trail is in Montana.
Is there a fire near the Lightning-Windfall Trail?
4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Moose Mountain at 19 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named LIGHTNING-WINDFALL in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0116. 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.