Maggie Slepian hiked this route in 2020
The Gallatin Crest Trail is a 42-mile point-to-point hike across high-elevation terrain in Montana that can be hiked in 2-4 days.
Region: Mountain West (Gallatin National Forest, Southwest Montana)
Length: 42 miles (2-4 days)
Physical Difficulty: Difficult
- 9,000 cumulative feet of elevation gain
- Trail can be rocky and uneven
- A lot of climbing and descending at high elevation
Logistical Difficulty: Moderate
- Some route finding
- High elevation and exposure means narrow weather window
- Infrequent water depending on the season
Season: Summer
Elevation (Average): ~8,500 feet
Total Elevation Gain: 9,000 feet
Hiking the Gallatin Crest Trail
This point-to-point hike is absolutely epic, and barely sees any foot traffic. Some sections are easy to follow, others are very faint tracks through open fields. For the most part, we were able to follow cairns or posts planted in the ground, but we recommend a GPS app with the track downloaded.
We hiked from Hyalite Creek Trailhead, through the woods for the first five miles, then two miles to the top of Hyalite Peak. This is a hefty climb, but the epic views start at the top of the peak and don’t let up. Once we dropped off the back of the peak, we traversed the ridge line for the next four miles before arriving at a small alpine lake to refill water. This is the only water for the next 11 miles. We did this trail in the middle of August, and each carried 2.5 liters, which was barely enough to get us from source to source.
From Crater Lake, follow the cairns down off the ridge line. Counterintuitive, I know, but we got confused and continued up the ridge, doing some major bush whacking, class-4 scrambling, and side hilling for the next hour before we could rejoin the trail. The trail actually drops down a ways to avoid this, and you’re definitely better off following the actual trail.
The trail stays high with amazing views for miles and miles, with sustained climbs that were manageable thanks to nice switchbacks and smart trail design.
We started getting worried about water, but were able to spot a waypoint on our GPS noting the Windy Pass Forest Service cabin and a nearby creek. The trail had dropped down to lower plateaus, and we were able to spot the cabin down in the valley at about Mile 21, and dropped off the trail to reach the creek. We filled up on water, then continued forward to rejoin the trail up on the plateau. You can either double back to where you left the trail, or continue straight and you’ll cross the trail. Again, GPS is really useful here to keep on track, as this is one of the only spots with multiple trails, which we assumed led towards the Windy Pass cabin.
This was our campsite for the night, stopping at about 24 miles and 7,000 feet of gain for the entire day. I’ve listed a few itineraries below with other options, as this was a very long, challenging day of hiking.
From our campsite, the trail stayed on these lower plateaus for a few miles before steeply climbing back up to the ridge line. The climbs and descents on the southern half of the trail were shorter than the day before, but much steeper. We climbed and descended multiple times before one last major climb to a 10,000-foot pass a few miles before Ramshorn Lake. You’ll pass a small, unnamed lake first, then descend another mile or so to Ramshorn Lake to fill up on water before the last seven miles to the trailhead.
How to Get to the Gallatin Crest Trail
Closest Major City: Bozeman, Montana (15 miles)
This is an easily accessible point-to-point trail that requires a two-car shuttle.
We hiked from Hyalite Creek Trailhead (northern terminus) to Buffalo Horn Trailhead (southern terminus), so we dropped a car at Buffalo Horn the night before, stayed at home in Bozeman that night, then drove to Hyalite Creek Trailhead in the morning to start. We recommend leaving a note in your car saying the dates you’ll be gone, since Hyalite has a “no overnight use” sign posted, which just means you can’t camp at the trailhead.
Both trailheads are within an hour or so from Bozeman. When we reached the car at Buffalo Horn, we went back and grabbed the Hyalite car. Overall about a two-hour shuttle.
When to Hike the Gallatin Crest Trail
Mid-summer through late summer is the best time to hike the Gallatin Crest Trail. Since this trail is so high, the snow takes a long time to melt. By the time the snow melts, it’s going to be very dry up there. This means planning ahead with water capacity and knowing where the reliable sources are.
Two-Day SOBO Itinerary: This is how we hiked the trail. It a long, challenging day but not unreasonable.
Day 1: Hyalite Creek to plateau (24 miles… with some navigational errors)
Day 2: Plateau to Buffalo Horn Trailhead
Four-Day SOBO Itinerary: If we were going to do fewer miles, here’s our recommendation for a four-day hike with camping at reliable water sources. Jeff recommends a four-day NOBO itinerary, which means you’ll just do this backwards. All of these mileages are approximate, as this trail can be rather hard to follow at times.
Day 1: Hyalite Creek to Crater lake (11 miles)
Day 2: Crater Lake to creek near Windy Pass Cabin (10 miles)
Day 3: Creek near Windy Pass Cabin to Ramshorn Lake (14 miles)
Day 4: Ramshorn Lake to Buffalo Horn Trailhead (7 miles)
Gallatin Crest Trail Terrain
You’re in the Mountain West, so expect long, sustained climbs, some seriously steep sections, and a lot of exposure above tree line. The trail is mostly smooth and well graded, but there are sections where it becomes faint. You’re in the alpine zone, which means infrequent water, snow late into the season, and afternoon thunderstorms and unpredictable weather throughout the year. The temperature also drops after the sun goes down, and the sun can be brutal with the elevation and exposure. Epic mountain views though!
Logistics: Permits, Camping, Water
Permits: This trail is entirely on National Forest land, so no permits are required. We left notes in both vehicles stating we were hiking the Gallatin Crest Trail, as there are posted “no overnight use” signs at Hyalite Creek.
Camping: Camping is free and not regulated, just remember to follow all LNT principles to ensure it stays this way. Like most logistics with this trail, your camping spots will be decided based on water. I mentioned good sites in the sample itineraries, but in southbound order (Hyalite to Buffalo Horn) Mile 5 (Hyalite Lake), Mile 11 (small alpine lake), Mile 21 (creek in the valley), and mile 35 (Ramshorn Lake) are all great spots. Other than that, you’re dry camping.
Water: Reliable water is scarce in the middle of summer, which is when this trail is accessible. We recommend carrying at least three liters of capacity, and definitely bring water treatment. Here are the reliable sources, listed in SOBO order.
Miles 1-5: Heading south from Hyalite Creek, there is plentiful water for the first five miles
Mile 11: You’ll hit Crater Lake at Mile 11.
Mile 21: Drop off the trail into the valley near Windy Pass Cabin. There is a creek that flows through this valley.
Mile 35: You’ll crest the final pass and drop down a few miles to an unnamed lake.
Mile 36-42: Ramshorn Lake sits 7 miles from the end of the trail, and there is plentiful water along most of the trail back.
Know Before You Go
Weather: The vast majority of the Gallatin Crest Trail is at high elevation with major exposure, so getting caught in bad weather would be not just unpleasant, but could be downright dangerous. Be sure to check the weather on both ends before you head out, and be prepared to drop off the ridge if you see something coming in.
Shorter Options: This trail can be broken up into 23-ish mile segments, if you go in at Buffalo Horn or Hyalite and out at Windy Pass.
Water: Again… just a few reliable sources on this high-elevation trail. Bring at least three liters of capacity.
Bears: This is grizzly bear territory, especially as you get closer to Big Sky on the southern part of the trail. Always carry bear spray and bear hang your food.
Route Finding: We’ve linked to our Gaia GPS track, and we recommend having a map and compass (and knowing how to use it) or having a reliable GPS track. This trail can be tricky to follow in places, and it’s important to know where you’re going so you don’t get cliffed out. This is especially important at Crater Lake, where the trail drops way down to avoid sketchy sections of the ridge.
