Included: An experienced, local hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area 3 or 5-day Beartooth Mountains backpacking adventure Breakfasts and dinners Group and cooking equipment Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpack — available to rent with your guides free of charge Not included: Transportation to and from the starting point Lunches Eating utensils Guide gratuities — optional Travel and medical insurance — optional

How fit do I need to be?

This Beartooth Mountains backpacking adventure has two different itineraries, but in general, decent shape is certainly required. Below, you will find a breakdown of trails, their distances, and required fitness levels. For detailed day-by-day distances and elevation gains, head to the itineraries. Timberline Lake Trail This trip includes 3 days of hiking . It’s an 8-mile (13-km) in-and-out hike to Timberline Lake with about 2,000 ft of elevation gain. On Day 2, the group will attempt a summit of Silver Run Peak which is one of Montana’s highest mountains, standing at 12,500 ft (3,800 m). This is expected to be 8 miles round-trip (13 km), with 3,000 ft (915 m) of elevation gain. While no backpacking experience is required, great fitness, proper physical preparation, and the ability to cover these distances and elevation gains is. Stillwater Loop Trail This trip includes 5 days of hiking , during which you’ll cover 35 miles (56 km), gain 5,240 ft (1,560 ft) in elevation, and lose 6,500 ft (1,980 ft) . While no backpacking experience is required, great fitness, proper physical preparation, and the ability to cover these distances and elevation gains is. If you’d rather have a team of like-minded, adventurous women around you, consider joining the women-only version of backpacking in the Beartooth Mountains !

What do I need to bring?

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring: Backpack large enough to carry all the items listed (+55L) — rental available Hiking poles Sleeping bag and sleeping poles — rental available Tent — rental available Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity) Lightweight hiking boots or shoes Spare clothes for layering Waterproof rain jacket Comfortable outdoor clothing Sunhat Water filter Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.) Headlamp or flashlight Sunglasses Camera — optional (but recommended) Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.

Can I rent backpacking equipment?

Indeed you can! You can rent a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and a backpack with your guides. You can register your interest upon checkout.

Group sizes and age requirements

Group sizes and pricing For this Beartooth Mountains backpacking adventure, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 6:1. It takes a minimum of 4 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 6 participants. Beartooth Mountains backpacking can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements. Min. age requirements If you are older than 18, you’re good to go. Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join the hike on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian. If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

Getting there and meeting location

To get to Red Lodge, Montana, the starting point of your Beartooth Mountains backpacking trip, it’s best to fly into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) or Billings Logan International Airport (BIL) . It takes one to two hours to reach Red Lodge from these two airports by car. There’s also the option of flying into Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) , from which there’s a 5-hour drive to Red Lodge. Regardless of the itinerary you choose, you will meet your guide a day prior to Day 1 of the trip in Red Lodge. There will be a mandatory gear check at 4pm, ensuring that you’ve got everything necessary for the adventure ahead! Accommodation for that night is up to you to arrange. Please note that on Day 1, an 80-minute personal shuttle drive is required. In the past, participants have shared car rides with each other and guides. Local shuttle services are available.

Safety measures and insurance

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection . To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible , simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner! Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered. Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!

BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS | MONTANA

Beartooth Mountains Backpacking Adventure

5.00 ()

All-women Beartooth Mountains backpacking

Hikers posing in the Beartooth Mountains

Climbing up to the summit of Silver Run Peak

Hikers on a bridge in Beartooth Mountain

Woman backpacking in the Beartooth Mountains

From $1,140 ()

Duration

3-5 days

Season

June through September

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Intro
Itinerary
Brochure
Guides
Reviews
Things to know

Get off the grid, but stay on cloud nine. If you’ve been craving a digital detox, Montana’s Beartooth Mountains are your ticket to escape. Choose between a short & sweet 3-day Timberline Lake Trail, or consider the 5-day Stillwater Loop Trail—whichever one you choose, you can’t go wrong! This adventure is ideal for both experienced backpackers as well as those who’ve never set up a tent. All that’s needed is great fitness, and leave the rest to us. We’ll teach you all about Leave No Trace, life in the wilderness, and more. Bonus? Just gorgeous landscapes—remote alpine lakes, serene conifer forests, lush meadows… Just a terrific environment to unwind and break your daily routine!

Elise Marquette

Trekking and Hiking Guide, PSIAA Level 1 Ski Instructor

Adventure highlights

Beginners welcome & encouraged

Whether you're a seasoned backpacker or it's your first time sleeping under the stars, this adventure is designed for everyone
Pristine wilderness & wildlife

Spot deer, moose, marmots, or elk in pine forests and wildflower-strewn meadows
More than just a hike

A fantastic guide (with local geology and history knowledge) will teach you about Leave No Trace and life in the wilderness

Download itineraries

Available itineraries

Timberline Lake Trail: Beartooth Mountains Backpacking

Spend 3 days exploring Montana’s backcountry on this backpacking adventure in the Beartooth Mountains! No backpacking experience? No worries, you’re still welcome, but keep in mind that great fitness is a must for this trail. We take care of expert leadership, meals, cooking equipment, and we can provide you with tents and sleeping bags. We’ll follow the 8-mile Timberline Lake Trail over three days, and on the second day, we’ll attempt to summit Silver Run Peak or North Silver Run! Expect to walk away from this adventure with new outdoor skills (such as Leave No Trace as well as local geology and history) and we’ll maybe even get to spot wildlife, such as moose, deer, elk, or marmots!

Make your way to Red Lodge, Montana. At 4pm, a day prior to getting on the trail, we’ll meet together and have a mandatory gear check. That way, we can ensure that everybody’s ready to head to the wilderness safely! Please remember to arrange your own accommodations for the night.
At 9am, we’ll gather and head to the trailhead at 7,600 ft (2,315 m) and start hiking towards Timberline Lake. This is also where we’ll spend the night.

Meals: Dinner
Hiking: 4 miles / 6.5 km
Elevation gain: 2,000 ft / 600 m
Accommodation: Tents, camping
Today, we’ll aim to summit either Silver Run Peak or North Silver Run. Depending on our goal, the distance and elevation gain will differ (Silver Run Peak is longer and a bigger elevation gain). We’ll hike back to camp at Timberline Lake.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 4-8 miles / 6.5-13 km
Elevation gain: 2,000-3000 ft / 600-900 m
Accommodation: Tents, camping
After our final breakfast in the wilderness, we’ll hike out 4 miles back to the trailhead. Expect to be there by circa 2pm. If you need recommendations on what to do in the area, just ask your guide!

Meals: Breakfast
Hiking: 4 miles / 6.5 km

Stillwater Loop Trail: Beartooth Mountains Backpacking

If 3 days in the pristine wilderness of Montana’s Beartooth Mountains isn’t enough, consider extending your journey to 5 days! Beginners with great fitness are encouraged to join, as your guide provides you with expert leadership, meals, cooking equipment, and can equip you with tents and sleeping bags. You will learn important outdoor skills (such as Leave No Trace as well as local geology and history) and maybe even spot wildlife! If getting off-the-grid has been in the back of your mind for a while now, consider this your sign! Ready for a journey full of serenity and peacefulness of the great outdoors?

Make your way to Red Lodge, Montana. At 4pm, a day prior to getting on the trail, we’ll meet together and have a mandatory gear check. That way, we can ensure that everybody’s ready to head to the wilderness safely! Please remember to arrange your own accommodations for the night.
*From the West Fork Stillwater trailhead (at 6,600 ft / 2,010 m) to Breakneck Meadows. 8 miles with 1000 ft of elevation gain. We will hike along the West fork of the Stillwater river, a drainage of the Beartooth mountains. Camp will be at Breakneck Meadows.

*Please note that an 80-minute personal shuttle drive is required. In the past, participants have shared car rides with each other and guides. Local shuttle services are available.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 8 miles / 13 km
Elevation gain: 1,000 ft / 300 m
Accommodation: Tents, camping
Today, we will hike to the highest point of the trip at 9,600 ft (2,925 m), and the environment will change from a more high forestry one to a more alpine one. We’ll set up our camp by Diaphanous Lake.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 7 miles / 11 km
Elevation gain: 3,000 ft / 900 m
Accommodation: Tents, camping
Passing Jordan Mountain and Wounded Man Lake on our way, this day allows for some rest after the first two bigger days. We’ll camp by Lake Jordan.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 5 miles / 8 km
Elevation gain: 1,000 ft / 300 m
Elevation loss: 1,400 ft / 425 m
Accommodation: Tents, camping
We descend back into the impressive valley along the Stillwater river. The environment will become more forestry again. We’ll end our day at Storm Creek, which is where we’ll spend our final night.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 7 miles / 11 km
Elevation loss: 2,500 ft / 760 m
Accommodation: Tents, camping
Our last day is about 5 miles long and allows for the shuttling of cars and a meal in Red Lodge, Nye, or Roscoe! If you need recommendations on what to do in the area, just ask your guide!

Meals: Breakfast
Hiking: 5 miles / 8 km

Beartooth Mountains Backpacking Adventure

Adventure Brochure

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If you have questions or need help with planning a trip, schedule a call with one of our adventure experts.

Meet your guides

5.00

Elise Marquette

Based out of Red Lodge, Montana, Elise is an experienced trekking and hiking guide and a backcountry traveler through Montana’s wilderness. She focuses on following Leave-No-Trace standards and is an Emergency Medical Technician. Her love for the mountains started early on while growing up in Colorado. Elise is also a PSIAA Level 1 Ski instructor and ventures into the winter backcountry in her free time.

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Beartooth Mountain Guides have a team of experienced guides who provide safety in the mountains as well as mental support during your adventure. Regardless of what you might choose—ice climbing, skiing, rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, rafting, ice climbing—they’ve got you covered. Beartooth Mountain Guides think of the mountains not only as a source of mental rest but also a place to challenge themselves and their perceptions. They know where to lead you safely and plan private or group outings accordingly to your skill level and ability.

5.00 (1 reviews)

Calvin Peterson (source: Facebook)

Great guiding! Knowledgeable and experienced! They are the go to guides for any place in the beartooths!

Things to know

Included:
- - An experienced, local hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  - 3 or 5-day Beartooth Mountains backpacking adventure
  - Breakfasts and dinners
  - Group and cooking equipment
  - Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpack — available to rent with your guides free of charge
Not included:
- - Transportation to and from the starting point
  - Lunches
  - Eating utensils
  - Guide gratuities — optional
  - Travel and medical insurance — optional
This Beartooth Mountains backpacking adventure has two different itineraries, but in general, decent shape is certainly required. Below, you will find a breakdown of trails, their distances, and required fitness levels. For detailed day-by-day distances and elevation gains, head to the itineraries.

Timberline Lake Trail
- - This trip includes 3 days of hiking. It’s an 8-mile (13-km) in-and-out hike to Timberline Lake with about 2,000 ft of elevation gain.
  - On Day 2, the group will attempt a summit of Silver Run Peak which is one of Montana’s highest mountains, standing at 12,500 ft (3,800 m). This is expected to be 8 miles round-trip (13 km), with 3,000 ft (915 m) of elevation gain.
  - While no backpacking experience is required, great fitness, proper physical preparation, and the ability to cover these distances and elevation gains is.
Stillwater Loop Trail
- - This trip includes 5 days of hiking, during which you’ll cover 35 miles (56 km), gain 5,240 ft (1,560 ft) in elevation, and lose 6,500 ft (1,980 ft).
  - While no backpacking experience is required, great fitness, proper physical preparation, and the ability to cover these distances and elevation gains is.
If you’d rather have a team of like-minded, adventurous women around you, consider joining the women-only version of backpacking in the Beartooth Mountains!
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
- - Backpack large enough to carry all the items listed (+55L) — rental available
  - Hiking poles
  - Sleeping bag and sleeping poles — rental available
  - Tent — rental available
  - Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
  - Lightweight hiking boots or shoes
  - Spare clothes for layering
  - Waterproof rain jacket
  - Comfortable outdoor clothing
  - Sunhat
  - Water filter
  - Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
  - Headlamp or flashlight
  - Sunglasses
  - Camera — optional (but recommended)
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Indeed you can! You can rent a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and a backpack with your guides. You can register your interest upon checkout.
Group sizes and pricing
- - For this Beartooth Mountains backpacking adventure, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 6:1.
  - It takes a minimum of 4 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 6 participants.
Beartooth Mountains backpacking can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements
- - If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  - Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join the hike on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Red Lodge, Montana, the starting point of your Beartooth Mountains backpacking trip, it’s best to fly into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) or Billings Logan International Airport (BIL). It takes one to two hours to reach Red Lodge from these two airports by car. There’s also the option of flying into Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), from which there’s a 5-hour drive to Red Lodge.

Regardless of the itinerary you choose, you will meet your guide a day prior to Day 1 of the trip in Red Lodge. There will be a mandatory gear check at 4pm, ensuring that you’ve got everything necessary for the adventure ahead! Accommodation for that night is up to you to arrange.

Please note that on Day 1, an 80-minute personal shuttle drive is required. In the past, participants have shared car rides with each other and guides. Local shuttle services are available.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!

Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.

Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
To secure your spot, a deposit in the amount of 30% is required at the time of booking. The remaining amount must be paid 90 calendar days prior to the trip departure. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies. If you cancel the booking…
- - More than 31 days before the departure date, you are entitled to a full refund (less the booking fees).
  - 30 to 14 days before the departure date, you are entitled to a refund in the amount of 50% of the full trip price (less the booking fees).
  - Within 13 days of the departure date, no refund will be issued.
Please note that booking fees are non-refundable in all cases and will be deducted from the refund amount.
57hours partners with Redpoint Travel Protection, offering you a fully integrated program with a single point of contact for all your needs, from emergency services to travel assistance and protection claims. We highly recommend purchasing a comprehensive protection policy from Redpoint, which will protect you both before and during your travels. Before your departure, your investment is protected by the trip cancellation benefit. Once you depart, your policy provides coverage for trip interruption, medical assistance and rescue, baggage loss, trip delay, and more. Once you complete booking with 57hours, we'll create bespoke quote for you (and your group), making sure you're fully protected for the adventure ahead.