Lolo National Forest · Montana · Trail 333

Boulder Lake

Boulder Lake Trail is a 5.4 miles trail in Lolo National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters Rattlesnake Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Lolo National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end47.0281, -113.7993 · Directions ↗
Other end47.0746, -113.8422 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 4 segments.

The trail

Length5.4 miles
Trail class2, moderately developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers333
ForestLolo National Forest (unit 0116)
StatesMontana
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Wilderness

Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.

Camping nearby

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Bison Range Br2F Rx

    39 mi from the trail midpoint

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Boulder Lake Trail?

5.4 miles, the sum of the 4 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Lolo National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Boulder Lake Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Boulder Lake Trail start?

The line begins at 47.0281, -113.7993 and ends at 47.0746, -113.8422. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Boulder Lake Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Rattlesnake Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Rattlesnake Wilderness Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Boulder Lake Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Source: Lolo National Forest official page

How developed is the Boulder Lake Trail?

Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Boulder Lake Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Boulder Lake Trail?

Lolo National Forest, Forest Service unit 0116. The trail is in Montana.

Source: Lolo National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Boulder Lake Trail?

1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Bison Range Br2F Rx at 39 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 4 segments named BOULDER LAKE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0116. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.