Montana · Trail 409

Lost Fork Judith River

Lost Fork Judith River Trail is a 12.4-mile trail in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The forest office carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

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

One end46.8385° N, 110.3802° W · Directions ↗
Other end46.7378° N, 110.5563° W · 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

Length12.4 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityEvaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers409
ForestHelena-Lewis and Clark National Forest (unit 0115)
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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Lost Fork Judith River Trail20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.61 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.82 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.86 inches of precipitationApril: 1.60 inches of precipitationMay: 2.83 inches of precipitationJune: 3.07 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.70 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.40 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.34 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.33 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.65 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.55 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 24.9°F averageFebruary: 24.0°F averageMarch: 31.5°F averageApril: 37.3°F averageMay: 46.3°F averageJune: 53.7°F averageJuly: 60.9°F averageAugust: 60.6°F averageSeptember: 52.2°F averageOctober: 40.6°F averageNovember: 31.2°F averageDecember: 24.0°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Lewistown 42 WSW, 11 miles from the trail midpoint at 5,070 feet, station USW00004140 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 17 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 12/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed 05/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
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.

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.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

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
    Kings Hill Cabin Piles Rx

    12 mi from the trail midpoint · 1 acre

  • Prescribed
    Showdown Piles Rx

    12 mi from the trail midpoint · 4 acres

  • Prescribed
    Coyote Divide Piles Rx

    18 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    Monarch Unit 141 Piles Rx

    28 mi from the trail midpoint · 3 acres

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

Explore

Guidebooks for Montana

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • 100 Classic Hikes: Montana
    Douglas Lorain, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Day Hiking Glacier National Park and Western Montana
    Aaron Theisen, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking waterfalls in Montana
    John Kratz, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Montana: Bozeman
    Bill Schneider, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks
    Erik Molvar, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Lost Fork Judith River Trail?

The Forest Service records 12.4 miles under this name in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Lost Fork Judith River Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Lost Fork Judith River Trail start?

The line begins at 46.8385° N, 110.3802° W and ends at 46.7378° N, 110.5563° W. 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 Lost Fork Judith River Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Lost Fork Judith River Trail?

Judith Station Day Use Area (4.3 mi) and Hay Canyon Campground (4.4 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 2 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

How developed is the Lost Fork Judith River Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as 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 Lost Fork Judith River Trail?

The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Lost Fork Judith River Trail accessible?

No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Lost Fork Judith River Trail?

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Forest Service unit 0115. The trail is in Montana.

Source: Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

Is there a fire near the Lost Fork Judith River Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Kings Hill Cabin Piles Rx at 12 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Lost Fork Judith River in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0115. 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 November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.