One-day triple-summits activation. A good US Forest Service road system gets one close enough to activate three summits easily in one day, a bit rare in Western Montana. The other two summits, Burnt Mountain (W7M/GA-145) and Babcock Mountain (W7M/GA-146) are accessible via short hikes from the same US Forest Service road system.
The summit has good views of Rock Creek Canyon and nearby Sliderock Mountain (W7M/GA-093), an old US Forest Service Lookout site. This entire lookout has been relocated as an interpretive display to the Fort Missoula Museum in Missoula, MT.
There is no trail from the road, but the route is easy open forest. The summit has scattered trees available for stringing wire antennas.
Elevation gain: 350’
Trail Miles round trip: 1.0
Water: There is no nearby water source.
Bear Pepper Spray: Highly recommended in all Montana summits.
Maps: US Forest Service, Lolo National Forest, Missoula Ranger District
Directions: On I-90 take the Beavertail Hill exit #130. Travel south on FS #354 for 12 miles to Lodgepole Saddle. At the saddle turn right on FS #4375 for approcimately 2 miles to a turnaround and large parking area. This is not the end of the road. A ridge heads south and west to the summit. The ridge begins in sparse forest and then becomes mostly open due to an old fuel break/fireline and open grassland.
