Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

28,000 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/lolo/recreation/rattlesnake-national-recreation-area-wilderness

Overview

Situated only four miles from Missoula, Montana within Lolo National Forest, Rattlesnake National Recreation Area is a popular area for outdoor recreation year-round.  It was established in 1980, at the same time as the adjacent 32,976-acre Rattlesnake Wilderness, which ranges in elevation from 4,200 feet up to 8,620-foot McLeod Peak.  The National Recreation Area has one of the only Sphagnum bogs in the western U.S. and Rattlesnake Creek hosts bull trout, cutthroat trout, and mountain whitefish. 

Highlights

Rattlesnake Main Trail, Ravine Creek Trail. Sawmill Curry Gulch Loop Trail, Spring Gulch Trail, Stuart Peak Trail

Must-Do Activity

There are 73 miles of hiking trails in the National Recreation Area, but the most heavily used are the first three miles of Rattlesnake Main Trail along Rattlesnake Creek.   These trails are also open to horseback riders, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers.  Be aware that mountain lions and black bears frequent the area, and we came across a bear on a warm morning in early August. 

Best Trail

Rattlesnake Main Trail follows an old logging road along the creek for the first nine miles before it gets steeper.  Other popular hiking options include Ravine Creek Trail, Sawmill Curry Gulch Loop Trail, Spring Gulch Trail with its moderate elevation gain, and Stuart Peak Trail that climbs steeply up into the Rattlesnake Wilderness.

Photographic Opportunity

Rattlesnake Creek attracts many animals, including the American dipper or ouzel, an aquatic songbird.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

From the Van Buren Street exit #105 off Interstate 90, head north as it turns into Rattlesnake Drive, which you drive for approximately three miles to the entrance.

Camping

There is no campground within the National Recreation Area and the closest ones in Lolo National Forest are much further west on Interstate 90 or to the north off Highway 83.

Related Sites

Helena National Forest (Montana)

Bitterroot National Forest (Montana)

Clearwater National Forest (Idaho)

Nearest National Park

Glacier

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