Gallatin National Forest

Photo Essay: Hiking the Andes with Mountain Lodges of Peru

advertisement

Trail #1, SOUTH FORK SIX MILE
Type Use: Hiking, Climbing
Length in Miles: 10
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 6000'-9654'
Access: Daily Lake Road
Condition: Fair, boggy near creek
Comments/Topo Info (T): Must hike in 3 miles on private road to reach trailhead or get owner's permission. Well graded, good backpacking trail, though not well marked near pass. Wildlife. (T)=Gardiner.

Trail #37, ELEPHANTHEAD
Type Use: Hiking, Climbing
Length in Miles: 4
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 6080'-9160'
Access: Mission Creek Road through 63 Ranch
Condition: Good; boggy in spots near pass.
Comments/Topo Info (T): High-clearance 2W drive access through private land; follows Mission Creek, connects with #45 - Blacktail Creek. Excellent view of the area throughout; alpine meadows. Elephanthead climbable without equipment. (T)=Livingston Peak.

Trail #38, SOUTH FORK DEEP CREEK
Type Use: Hiking
Length in Miles: 5
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 5920'-9112'
Access: Deep Creek Road
Condition: Good; boggy in meadows
Comments/Topo Info (T): Well-graded trail follows cascading creek; very pretty throughout. Connects with Davis Creek over the Divide. (T)=Livingston Peak, Brisbin.

Trail #41, MILL CREEK PASS
Type Use: Hiking
Length in Miles: 5
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 7012'-9403'
Access: 6 miles up #51 (total from #41 trailhead=11 mi.)
Condition: Fair to Poor
Comments/Topo Info (T): Crystal Cave is located 1/2 mile up the trail (6 1/2 miles from trailhead). Trail connects with West Boulder over pass. (T)=Mt. Cowan.

Trail #44, SUCE CREEK/BALDY BASIN
Type Use: Hiking, Skiing
Length in Miles: 9
Use: Light
Elevation Change: W5400'-8400'; E6080'-8400'
Access: West Baldy/East Baldy Divide; East Mission Creek Trailhead
Condition: Fair to Poor especially at the pass
Comments/Topo Info (T): The west side initially follows an old jeep road, and at a later point parallels a water pipe; some cattle grazing; steep up to the pass. Forms a loop with #37 & #45. (T)=Livingston Peak.

Trail #45, NORTH FORK DEEP CREEK
Type Use: Hiking
Length in Miles: 6
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 5800'-9000'
Access: Suce Creek Road
Condition: Fair, easily lost in meadows
Comments/Topo Info (T): Trail stays well above the creek; carry water. Scenic in alpine meadows, some livestock grazing. (T)=Livingston Peak, Brisbin.

Trail #47, PINE CREEK
Type Use: Hiking, Climbing, Skiing
Length in Miles: 5
Use: Heavy
Elevation Change: 5626'-9032'
Access: Pine Creek Campground
Condition: Good; several rocky areas
Comments/Topo Info (T): Very scenic trail ending at an alpine lake (fishing), glacial basin. Steep, allow 4 to 5 hours with backpack. Pine Creek Falls are located one mile up the trail for a shorter hike. (T)=Emigrant, Mt. Cowan.

Trail #48, ELBOW LAKE
Type Use: Hiking, Climbing
Length in Miles: 6-1/2
Use: Medium
Elevation Change: 6000'-8630'
Access: 1-1/2 miles up Trail 51 (total from #51 trailhead=8 miles)
Condition: Good, rocky and boggy near lake
Comments/Topo Info (T): A lot of variation - meadows, creeks, views of surrounding mountains; ending in a high mountain lake (fishing) dominated by Mt. Cowan. Scenic Trail climbs to 8500' twice. Access for climbing Mt. Cowan. (T)=Emigrant, Mt. Cowan.

Trail #5, EAST FORK MILL CREEK
Type Use: Hiking, Skiing
Length in Miles: 12
Use: Medium
Elevation Change: 5760'-9673'
Access: East Fork Mill Creek Road
Condition: Good
Comments/Topo Info (T): Follows the creek with an easy grade, steep up to Silver Pass. An enjoyable trail that passes through limestone cliffs, meadows. Trails 41, 48, 69, 54 branch off #51. (T)=Emigrant, Mt. Cowan.

Trail #54, ANDERSON RIDGE/JOMAHA
Type Use: Hiking
Length in Miles: 14
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 5760'-8527'
Access: Mill Creek Road
Condition: Fair to Poor
Comments/Topo Info (T): Good Wilderness trail. Be sure to bring compass and topo map as the trail is poorly marked. Ridgetop views throughout. Carry water. (T)=Emigrant, Mt. Cowan.

Trail #55, MILL CREEK
Type Use: Hiking, Climbing, Skiing
Length in Miles: 4
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 6500'-8000'
Access: Lambert Creek on logging roads at the end of Mill Creek Road
Condition: Poor to Fair
Comments/Topo Info (T): Follows old logging road first mile. Bring topo. Old section of trail leads from bridge at the end of Mill Creek Road and beginning of logging roads. Leads to Crow Mountain. (T)=Mt. Cowan.

Trail #58, WALLACE CREEK
Type Use: Hiking, Climbing, Skiing
Length in Miles: 8
Use: Heavy
Elevation Change: 6000'-9769'
Access: Mill Creek Road (Passage Falls)
Condition: Good, rocky near pass
Comments/Topo Info (T): Good grade though steep at pass. Heavy use by outfitters to reach Grizzly Creek. Follows creek and opens into beautiful alpine country. Falls are located on a side-branch into private land. (T)=Emigrant, Mt. Wallace.

Trail #59, PASSAGE CREEK
Type Use: Hiking
Length in Miles: 7
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 6500'-9530'
Access: 3 miles up #68 (Total from trailhead=10 1/2)
Condition: Fair to poor, easily lost in meadows
Comments/Topo Info (T): Less used route to the alpine plateaus of the Gardiner District. Good wilderness trail. (T)=Emigrant, Mt. Wallace, Gardiner.

Trail #60, NORTH FORK SIX MILE
Trail Name: North Fork Six Mile
Type Use: Hiking, Climbing
Length in Miles: 10
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 6000'-9654'
Access: Daily Lake Road
Condition: Fair
Comments/Topo Info (T): Three-mile hike to trailhead, then follows an old jeep road for a while. Not well maintained and crosses creek several times. (T)=Gardiner.

Trail #61, WEST FORK MILL CREEK TO MONITOR
Type Use: Hiking
Length in Miles: 9
Use: Heavy-Light
Elevation Change: 6400'-9654'
Access: West Fork Mill Creek Road
Condition: Poor to Good. Many boggy spots first 3 miles
Comments/Topo Info (T): Horse travel (heavy) to Thompson Lake turn-off; light after that. Lonesome Pond (fishing) and beautiful alpine meadows near Monitor. (T)=Gardiner.

Trail #65, EMIGRANT GULCH
Type Use: Hiking, Climbing, Skiing, Motorcycles, Mountain Bikes
Length in Miles: 5
Use: Medium
Elevation Change: 6000'-8000'
Access: Chico
Condition: Good
Comments/Topo Info (T): 4WD road first 3 miles. (Not wilderness.) Many mining roads branching off. (T)=Emigrant.

Trail #69, HIGHLAND
Type Use: Hiking
Length in Miles: 1-1/2
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 6000'-7200'
Access: 1/4 mile up #51
Condition: Poor to Fair
Comments/Topo Info (T): An access to Anderson Ridge #64. A little hard to find initially, but easy to follow later. (T)=Emigrant.

Trail #221, MOOSE PARK
Type Use: Hiking, Climbing
Length in Miles: 6
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 7250'-8500'
Access: 1 mile up #55
Condition: Fair but boggy
Comments/Topo Info (T): Access is poor because #55 is so poorly marked. It does connect with #54 and #51. Also provides a route to the Pyramid. (T)=Mt. Cowan

Trail #280, COLLEY LAKE/LAMBERT CREEK
Type Use: Hiking
Length in Miles: 10
Use: Light
Elevation Change: 7000'-9000'
Access: Lambert Creek on logging roads at the end of Mill Creek Road. Another access via Colley Creek.
Condition: Fair, easy to get lost in meadows
Comments/Topo Info (T): Trail indistinct first 200 yards. No fish in Colley Lake. Good wilderness trail. Bring topo map with compass. (T)=Mt. Cowan

Trail #282, THOMPSON LAKE
Type Use: Hiking
Length in Miles: 3-Lake; 5-Pass
Use: Heavy-Medium
Elevation Change: 7000'-7900' to Lake; 7000'-9600' to Pass
Access: 4 miles up #61 (West Fork Mill Creek)
Condition: Fair, many boggy areas
Comments/Topo Info (T): Horse traffic (heavy). The trail follows creek to the lake (fishing), then up to Horse Creek Divide and Gardiner District trails. (T)=Gardiner