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.
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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!
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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
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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
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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
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Included:
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- 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
Add-ons:
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- Sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpack, tent (for 2025 departures, tent is included in the price) — rental available ($15/item/day), but limited (let us know upon booking if interested)
Not included:
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- Transportation to and from the starting point
- Lunches
- Eating utensils
- Guide gratuities — optional
- Insurance — recommended, available to add at checkout
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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
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- 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
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- 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!
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Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
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- 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)
- 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
- Eating utensils
- Mosquito headnet
- 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.
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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.
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Group sizes and pricing
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- 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
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- 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.
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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.
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We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.
Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors 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.
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