Fire Tower Lookout Experience
Trek along a mountain ridge that borders the west fork of the Bitterroot River. Spend a night in a decommissioned fire lookout tower
and at higher elevation alpine lakes.
Option A:
16 mi, 5200 ft
elevation gain
Option B:
22 mi, 7200 ft
elevation gain
Trip Summary
Day 1
An uphill battle marks the start of this journey with a 3 mi, 3000 ft elevation gain to the lookout. Option B: 8 mi, 3200 ft of elevation gain
Day 2
Hike 8.8 mi along the mountain ridge to gain and lose 3600 ft of elevation, stopping at an alpine lake situated at 8,000 ft.
Day 3
Hike 5 mi with some gain and 3000 ft of elevation loss to reach the trailhead and the journey's end. Note: This hike requires a shuttle. We may use guest vehicles for a shuttle.
Trip Features:
Ridgetop Hiking
Plenty of views will be had on this trip! We'll be hiking along a ridge most of the time. Water will be scarce. Expect to have to carry 3-4 L or more at a time.
Alpine Lakes
One or more of our campsites will be at an alpine lake. Most sit at the base of mountains that stand more than 1000 ft above the surface of the lakes. Sometimes up to 4000 ft in the Bitterroot.
Burn Areas
Most of this hike is through burn areas of varying years (17 - 23 yrs ago). Higher UV exposure than other hikes. Increased risk of blowdowns. The severity of burns also varies.
Point-to-point Hike
This trip is a point-to-point trip, meaning that a shuttle will be required to book this trip. Please email [email protected] for details.
Summits
We will hit one or more summits on this hike. Expect some panoramic views! Summitting may require some Class 2 scrambling, (using arms and hands but low risk.)
Check out our Ultralight Gear:
We carry
the best backpacking meals:
Virtual Trip Planning
Trip Walkthrough Meeting one month prior to trip!