Montana · Trail 279

Warland Ridge

Warland Ridge Trail is a 10.7 miles trail in Kootenai National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Kootenai 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 end48.5043, -115.1539 · Directions ↗
Other end48.5052, -115.0137 · 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 52 segments.

The trail

Length10.7 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent, 10-12 percent, 8-10 percent, 20-30 percent, 5-8 percent, 30-40 percent
Typical tread width12-18 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers279
ForestKootenai National Forest (unit 0114)
StatesMontana
Detail publishedmanagement 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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Warland Ridge Trail20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.50 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.15 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.09 inches of precipitationApril: 1.23 inches of precipitationMay: 1.75 inches of precipitationJune: 2.39 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.85 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.70 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.12 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.72 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.84 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.71 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 28.1°F averageFebruary: 30.6°F averageMarch: 37.4°F averageApril: 44.7°F averageMay: 53.9°F averageJune: 60.4°F averageJuly: 67.8°F averageAugust: 67.3°F averageSeptember: 58.0°F averageOctober: 45.4°F averageNovember: 34.9°F averageDecember: 28.4°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Libby Dam (Base), 12 miles from the trail midpoint at 2,110 feet, station USC00245011 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 17 inches a year. The station sits about 3,700 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 05/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed 05/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
Mountain bikingAllowed 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.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Warland Ridge Trail?

10.7 miles, the sum of the 52 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Kootenai National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Warland Ridge Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Warland Ridge Trail start?

The line begins at 48.5043, -115.1539 and ends at 48.5052, -115.0137. 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 Warland Ridge 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 Warland Ridge 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.

Source: Kootenai National Forest official page

How developed is the Warland Ridge 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 Warland Ridge Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent on most segments and 10-12 percent or 8-10 percent or 20-30 percent or 5-8 percent or 30-40 percent on others. The typical tread is 12-18 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Warland Ridge Trail?

Kootenai National Forest, Forest Service unit 0114. The trail is in Montana.

Source: Kootenai National Forest official page

Source

This page is built from 52 segments named WARLAND RIDGE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0114. 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.