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Hard Hiking Trails in Montana

The directory currently contains 14 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Montana. Their average mapped distance is 29.1 km and average recorded ascent is 910 m (2,986 ft); the longest route in the set is 47.5 km.

This subset represents 40% of the 35 quality-checked routes in Montana. Its average distance is 29.1 km, compared with 15.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 910 m (2,986 ft), versus 509 m (1,670 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

This set contains routes rated hard or expert from their available distance and elevation measurements. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 14 (100%) are rated hard or expert, and 0 (0%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

21.3 km

Bowman Lake Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

117 m

Bowman Lake Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Expert

CDT fqhAC

Montana · United States

Distance
42.2 km
/ 26.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,486 m
Typical duration
11 hr
  • Mountain
Expert

CDT ffj Spotted Bear Route

Montana · United States

Distance
42.8 km
/ 26.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,409 m
Typical duration
11 hr
  • Mountain
Expert

CDT fmcAC

Montana · United States

Distance
41.3 km
/ 25.7 mi
Elevation gain
840 m
Typical duration
10 hr
  • Mountain
Hard

Bowman Lake Trail

Montana · United States

Distance
21.3 km
/ 13.2 mi
Elevation gain
117 m
Typical duration
4 hr 48 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
East aspect of Kintla Peak (left) and Kinnerly Peak (right) from Boulder Pass, Glacier National Park, Montana
Expert

Boulder Pass Trail

Montana · United States

Distance
47.5 km
/ 29.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,315 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
Mount Siyeh seen with Preston Park from Siyeh Pass. Glacier Park, Montana
Hard

Siyeh Pass Trail

Montana · United States

Distance
12.3 km
/ 7.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,110 m
Typical duration
4 hr 13 min
  • Mountain
Summiting Piegan
Hard

Piegan Pass Trail

Montana · United States

Distance
27.6 km
/ 17.1 mi
Elevation gain
947 m
Typical duration
7 hr 32 min
  • Mountain
Bear on Ptarmigan Lake Trail
Hard

Ptarmigan Trail

Montana · United States

Distance
23.6 km
/ 14.7 mi
Elevation gain
843 m
Typical duration
6 hr 26 min
  • Mountain
Hard

Redgap Pass Trail

Montana · United States

Distance
23.8 km
/ 14.8 mi
Elevation gain
677 m
Typical duration
6 hr 15 min
  • Mountain
Stoney Indian Pass, Glacier National Park , United States
Hard

Stoney Indian Pass Trail

Montana · United States

Distance
21.3 km
/ 13.2 mi
Elevation gain
768 m
Typical duration
5 hr 46 min
  • Mountain
Hard

North Shore Rivers Edge Trail

Montana · United States

Distance
19.6 km
/ 12.2 mi
Elevation gain
254 m
Typical duration
4 hr 36 min
  • Waterfall
  • Coastal
  • Mountain
Hard

Numa Ridge Lookout Trail

Montana · United States

Distance
7.9 km
/ 4.9 mi
Elevation gain
950 m
Typical duration
3 hr 4 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
CDT fqhACMontana42.2 km1,486 m11 hrExpertJuly to September
CDT fccCM - Chief Mountain Route to CanadaMontana44.5 km1,176 m11 hrExpertJune to October
CDT ffj Spotted Bear RouteMontana42.8 km1,409 m11 hrExpertJuly to September
CDT fmcACMontana41.3 km840 m10 hrExpertJune to October
Bowman Lake TrailMontana21.3 km117 m4 hr 48 minHardJune to October
Boulder Pass TrailMontana47.5 km1,315 m12 hrExpertJune to October
Siyeh Pass TrailMontana12.3 km1,110 m4 hr 13 minHardJuly to September
Piegan Pass TrailMontana27.6 km947 m7 hr 32 minHardJuly to September
Ptarmigan TrailMontana23.6 km843 m6 hr 26 minHardJune to October
Redgap Pass TrailMontana23.8 km677 m6 hr 15 minHardJune to October

CDT fqhAC, CDT ffj Spotted Bear Route, CDT fccCM - Chief Mountain Route to Canada currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

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Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

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Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

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