Pets allowed
Allowed
Elevation Gain
900.00 ft (274.32 m)
Trail type
Loop
Distance
4.60 mi (7.40 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Considering how popular the Hyalite Recreation Area is with locals and visitors alike, the Hood Creek Trail is remarkably quiet. The trail gets good use in the fall with hunters and again in the winter with cross-country skiers. The trail itself is a short day hike with moderate elevation gain up into the forest from Hood Creek Campground.

Find the trailhead on the east side of Hyalite Canyon Road, almost directly across from the campground entrance. The loop winds up through the forest of Engelmann spruce and lodgepole pines, eventually getting above the trees and providing an excellent view of the Hyalite Creek drainage and the reservoir below. On the way back down the hillside the forest floor opens up a bit, making it an ideal setting for grouse and other woodland creatures. When the trail approaches the four-way junction, swing a left and continue on toward trail number 456 to complete this lollipop loop. 

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

Solitude. Great view of Hyalite Reservoir.

Cons

Part of the trail is on a logging road.

Trailhead Elevation

6,782.00 ft (2,067.15 m)

Features

Bird watching
Wildlife
Big Game Watching
Big vistas

Typically multi-day

No

Suitable for

Biking
Horseback

Location

Nearby Adventures

Big Sky + Gallatin River Valley, Montana
Big Sky + Gallatin River Valley, Montana
Big Sky + Gallatin River Valley, Montana

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