Sheephead Creek
Sheephead Creek Trail is a 7.4 miles trail in Bitterroot National Forest, Montana and Idaho. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately 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 | 45.7461, -114.4477 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 45.7756, -114.5657 · 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 | 7.4 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 142 |
| Forest | Bitterroot National Forest (unit 0103) |
| States | Montana, Idaho |
| 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 1% 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
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
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
30 mi from the trail midpoint · 118 acres · 70% contained
- WildfireWolf Creek
38 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,643 acres · 50% contained
- WildfireCascade
38 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,475 acres · 70% contained
- WildfireBear Gulch
38 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.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Sheephead Creek Trail?
7.4 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Bitterroot National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Sheephead Creek Trail?
Bitterroot National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.
Where does the Sheephead Creek Trail start?
The line begins at 45.7461, -114.4477 and ends at 45.7756, -114.5657. 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 Sheephead 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 Sheephead Creek Trail?
Fales Flat Campground (0.2 mi) is within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Sheephead Creek Trail?
Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately 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 Sheephead Creek Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Sheephead Creek Trail?
Bitterroot National Forest, Forest Service unit 0103. The trail is in Montana and Idaho.
Is there a fire near the Sheephead Creek Trail?
4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest North Fork Lost Horse at 30 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named SHEEPHEAD 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.