The Crazy Mountains Loop is a 24-mile route over two passes in Montana’s Crazy Mountains. The trail features multiple alpine lakes and can be hiked in 2-3 days
Region: Mountain West (Crazy Mountains, Southwest Montana)
Length: 24 miles (2-3 days)
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
- Two major climbs, each several thousand feet
- Steep sections are interspersed with flat sections
- Climbs are extended but mostly well graded
Logistical Difficulty: Easy
- Loop hike
- All trails clearly marked
- Plentiful dispersed camping locations at several lakes
Season: Summer
Elevation (Average): ~7,800 feet
Total Elevation Gain: ~5,600 feet
Hiking the Crazy Mountains Loop
This is very doable in two days, but if you’re looking to camp at a lake (recommended) the mileages will be unbalanced. You can choose Campfire Lake (mile 7) or Sunlight Lake (mile 15). Moose Lake (mile 9) is on private property so you can’t camp there without permission. This means a two-day hike will be one full day of hiking and a half day of hiking. This description is for a two-day, counterclockwise loop.
We got a late start and did our half day on Day 1, stopping at Campfire Lake. The next day we hiked the remaining 17 miles of the route, past Sunlight Lake around lunchtime and finishing up by 5 p.m.
The trail starts off climbing gradually through the trees on Porcupine Creek Trail. As you parallel Sugarloaf Mountain, you’ll turn left and head up the North Fork Elk Creek Trail. There is a trail closure on the Porcupine Creek Trail right here, so the junction is easy to find.
After about 3.5 miles (and 2,500 feet of climbing through trees and a basin) the North Fork Elk Creek Trail gains the pass and you turn left onto the Middle Fork Sweetgrass Trail. The trail continues climbing for a short while until you come to an obvious gap in the rocks and start to switchback down to Campfire Lake… after admiring the amazing views. This first day had 3,000 feet of elevation packed into 7 miles. It’s challenging, but not undoable. Once you get out of the trees and start seeing the open basins and snow-dusted peaks, the climbing becomes secondary to the views.
From Campfire Lake, stay on the Middle Fork Sweetgrass Trail as it descends on switchbacks to Moose Lake. The trail continues through the woods on mellow terrain before a signed intersection with the Sunlight Basin Trail.
Take this trail as it climbs 2,000 feet through the trees and past an unnamed lake, all the way up to Sunlight Lake. From Sunlight Lake, it’s just one long mellow climb up the pass, with epic views on all sides. Take the Sunlight Ridge Trail as it descends very steeply into the trees. After dropping nearly 2,000 feet, you’ll come to a creek crossing and the intersection with the Shields Lowline Trail. There is a signed left turn about 100 yards up the trail, which takes you the five miles back to Porcupine Cabin.
Stay on the well-signed Shields Lowline Trail though trees and over one more small climb to Bald Ridge. Hike across the open fields, back into the trees, then pop out above the trailhead.
How to Get to the Crazy Mountains Loop
Closest Major City: Bozeman, Montana (54 miles)
Find the Porcupine Creek Trailhead here.
This is about as simple as it gets for a loop hike. From Bozeman, we drove north through Bridger Canyon and turned toward Wilsall. We took Shields River Road to Porcupine Road, and followed it all the way to the end at Porcupine Cabin.
Porcupine Cabin is a Forest Service cabin available to rent, and the trailhead is impossible to miss.
When to Hike the Crazy Mountains Loop
Midsummer through late summer (July through mid-September) is the best time to hike over any passes in the Crazy Mountains. Though they’re lower than others around Southwest Montana (passes never go higher than ~9,500 feet), they hold snow for a long time, and weather can centralize over this isolated mountain range and bring late-season storms.
Two-Day Counterclockwise Itinerary
This is how we hiked the trail. From our perspective, it’s the same difficulty level heading either direction.
Day 1: 7 Miles (Trailhead to Campfire Lake) Start heading counterclockwise on Porcupine Creek Trail, south from the trailhead. Wind through the woods before starting to climb to a basin. Climb the pass and descend to Campfire Lake. Camp at Campfire Lake at mile 7.
Day 2: 17 Miles (Campfire Lake to Trailhead) Head past Moose Lake, then stay low through the woods for a few miles before starting to climb again toward Sunlight Basin. Gain the pass, then drop steeply down the other side on Sunlight Basin Trail before connecting with the more mellow Lowline Trail and finishing the loop.
Three-Day Counterclockwise Itinerary
If you’d like to have more equal mileage and a relaxed pace, do this in three days.
Day 1: 7 Miles (Trailhead to Campfire Lake) Start heading counterclockwise , south from the trailhead. Wind through the woods before starting to climb to a basin. Climb the pass and descend to Campfire Lake. Camp at Campfire Lake at Mile 7.
Day 2: 9 Miles (Campfire Lake to Sunlight Lake) Head past Moose Lake, then stay low through the woods for a few miles before starting to climb again towards Sunlight Basin. Most of the climbing is done by the time you hit Sunlight Lake.
Day 3: 8 miles (Sunlight Lake to Trailhead) Climb the final few hundred feet up the pass, then descend steeply off the ridge. Hike through the forest and over Bald Ridge before dropping down to the trailhead.
Crazy Mountains Loop Terrain
From either side, you’ll be starting on well-maintained dirt trails through old-growth forest. The middle of the route is comprised of higher elevations and open passes, with loose shale, steeper exposed terrain, and incredible basins surrounded by towering granite walls and dramatic peaks.
The trail is mostly well-graded, with some very steep terrain heading down from Sunlight Basin (counterclockwise). Everything else was switchbacked.
Logistics: Permits, Camping, Water
Permits: This route is primarily on national forest land, so no permits are required.
Camping: Camping is free and not regulated, as long as you are on national forest land. Campfire Lake, Sunlight Lake, and the intermediary unnamed lakes are all fair game. There are multiple signs along this route noting when you are on and off public / private land.
Water: Water sources are well spaced throughout the summer. This includes lakes every 5-7 miles, and multiple stream crossings. Be sure to fill up before you start gaining a pass, as all of the water sources are at the lower elevations.
Know Before You Go
Late-Season Snow, Early-Season Storms: The Crazies keep snow late into the summer, so you might encounter slippery snowfields on the two passes. The weather is also unpredictable and can have early-season storms in late August or early September. Check the forecast before you go.
Private Land: The Crazies cross private land, both on trail and at some access points (but not this trailhead). Know your camping areas and stay on the trail where the signage notes crossing private land.
Bears: Grizzly bears live in the Crazies. Always carry bear spray and bear hang your food.
Trail Intersections: This route links together multiple trails. All of the intersections are either signed or obvious; just pay attention to your junctions.