Coal Creek Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Starting with a ford of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, this trail will get you wet. The trail crosses over Coal Creek dozens of times, so get in the right mindset to have wet feet. This spectacular, wild country is seldom visited, so soak up the solitude on this hike.

The trail is broken up into some obvious sections based on the lower and upper Coal Creek campgrounds as well as an obvious geographic breakdown. The trail makes its way east, then northeast, then northwest providing differing views at each turn. The peaks that makes up the walls of this canyon are stunning and home to game animals big and small.

Since the trail stays down at the creek bottom, elevation gain is minimal. Although the constant fording of the creek will give you wet feet, the actual hiking is only moderate.