Update provided by Sylvan Peak Mountain Shop – Red Lodge: November 3, 2023
Conditions are updated frequently and change nearly daily…
These are just some generals we know for sure.
Nov 3, 2023:
QUICK UPDATES/ ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sylvan Peak’s Fall Shop hours are now 9AM to 6PM daily
Weekend forecast is for some sun and nice temps in the 40s. Snow in the high country above 8000ft. Trails will be snow covered, with ice and mud.
Beartooth Highway is closed for the Season, as of Oct 10th. Chief Joseph highway remains open into Cooke City, as long as snow isn’t too deep.
Red Lodge Mountain requests no uphill traffic until further notice. Snow Making is in progress, as well as lots of activity getting the Mountain ready to open November 25th. Please refrain from heading to RLM for preseason hiking and turns.
Hunting season dates.. be aware, wear bright colors.
Fall Rifle Oct. 21–Nov. 26Glacier Lake Road/ Main Fork Road under construction with closures: Scheduled through Dec. 1, 2023
Weekday Closure Schedule:
8am-12pm Closed
12pm-1pm Open
1pm- 5pm Closed.
No closure on Weekends, but still ongoing construction. Last two miles to trailhead is very rough.
During the noon-1pm hour there may be long delays still, as crews are continuing to work. Please be patient and let them get their work done.
Future Ski Swaps:
(Sylvan Peak is not associated with any of the swaps, just for information purposes)
Nov 4 and 5 – Bridger SKi Foundation – Bozeman Fairgrounds
Nov 18th – BRTA Swap in Red Lodge Civic Center
Bears and Moose are very active in all areas – carry bear spray and know how to use it.
East Rosebud Roadis open to East Rosebud Lake, as of August 4th. East Rosebud campground is open, but no water. No public boat ramp at the Lake, as it washed away. East Rosebud to Elk lake new trail is finished.
The storm brought 10-14″ new snow to the valley area, and there is no plowing, so plan ahead and be prepared.
West Fork Road– Silver Run, Basin and Timerline trails are in great fall hiking condition. Expect snow and ice. The West Fork road will remain open until the Normal Dec 1st closure at Wild Bill Lake.Silver Run Trails: Silver Run loops are in good shape.. Watch for fallen trees and branches. There is lots of activity with forest thinning, as the Forest Service management project for fire suppression has started. Expect changes, trees cleared, and piles of slash in the area. Slash piles are planned for winter time burning. good for walking with ice cleats, not ski able yet.
Palisades/ Willow/ Nichols Creek Trails: Lots of blow down over the trails from recent winds.. Big logs across the trail, not passable for stock. Mountain Bikes will need to haul bikes over the logs. There are trees down in spots on most of the Nichols trail.
Be careful with hidden obstacles under the snow. As there is no base, these trails are not ski able yet. Higher elevation end of Nichols has 1-2″ new snow from Thursday.
Lots of bear and moose activity in the area – please ride with bear spray, and make some noise! Don’t surprise the bears.. Be aware of construction and activity at Red Lodge mountain, and their lower parking lot.
Dec 1 through July 1, no Dogs on the Palisades trail. Just for future winter trail planning…
NEW TRAIL ALERT!: Connector trail now finished, from about 1/2 mile up Nichols, around the knob, cross Ski Run Road and connects with Palisades campground road. This connector makes a complete loop now with Nichols/Willow trails for Hiking and Biking.
Face of the Mountain Trail: New bridge on Meeteetsee Trail Road is ready and open for public travel! Grove creek road is not passable to the Face of the Mtn trailhead however, so don’t attempt and get stuck over there.
Lake Fork Road:
Trailhead bridge is not replaced yet – work has started, so expect activity with construction. Final bridge work date is unknown, and will be weather dependent. Please give the construction people room to work on this bridge, don’t park in the main (original) Lake Fork trailhead parking area and leave it for construction vehicles.
Beartooth Highway:
Highway is walkable past the gate at Parkside Campground. Expect ice and snow on the road.
Glacier Lake Road:
Expect snow and ice on the road, and deep snow at the trail head area. This road is not plowed, so travel at your own risk and be prepared to be stuck.Main Fork Road, or Glacier Lake Road, is currently open to the Glacier Lake trailhead. See above for construction road closure schedule. Please be patient with construction vehicles as they continue to work on repairs on the road. The road crew is making great progress, and the road is pretty nice just shy of the trailhead. Be patient, and we’ll have a good road back again soon!
Hellroaring road is open to the bridges/ creek area. No estimate of timeline on bridge repair, but it for sure won’t be for a few years. Not much turnaround space at the bridge area for large vehicles.
East Rosebud:
No trailers, no campers, high clearance only. The road has been recently graded and actually in really good shape for now. No water available at East Rosebud campground. No public lake access. No camping at trailheads or dispersed (boondock) camping available in the area. Trail repairs are in progress from East Rosebud to Rimrock. Please be respectful of private property and cabin owners around East Rosebud and along the road. Make sure you know where Private Lands are and stay on public lands.
Elk Lake trail is do able, as trail crew has finished the new trail from East Rosebud to Elk Lake. The trail is a brand new trail, so expect scrabbly loose rock and soft new trail conditions. When you walk this, appreciate the hard work that goes in to a project like this!Jimmy Joe campground is open, with access from the top or bottom, as there is a section of road washed out in the middle area. Jimmy Joe will remain open for the winter.
Sand Dunes picnic areas are open for day use only.
Stillwater Trail/Woodbine Campground: Stillwater road opened July 1st, with ongoing construction. Woodbine campground is Closed as of Oct. 1 Road access open to West Stillwater, and Initial Creek campground is open. Lots of hunters in the Meyers creek area. Sioux Charley Lake trailhead area is not open for parking, but trail is accessible by parking along the road. The rocky gorge trail section is washed out and not passable, but take the stock bypass trail from the trailhead, which connects to the main trail just beyond the gorge.
Beartooth Ranger District:: Please call the Beartooth Ranger District at
406-446-2103 or stop by the office in Red Lodge 8am to 4:30 pm weekdays with questions.
