North Fork Bull River
North Fork Bull River Trail is a 4.8-mile trail in Kootenai National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters Cabinet Mountains Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Kootenai 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 end | 48.1957° N, 115.8196° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 48.2396° N, 115.7444° 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 is recorded as 6 segments.
The trail
| Length | 4.8 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 10-12 percent, 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| Special management area | IRA - Inventoried Roadless Area |
| Trail numbers | 972 |
| Forest | Kootenai National Forest (unit 0114) |
| States | Montana |
| Detail published | management 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
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
| Mountain biking | Allowed 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
- Cabinet Mountains WildernessFS · about 46% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
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
#978 M.F. Bull River Trailhead No season published No motorized vehicles. Mechanized use: Only allowed on the first.5 miles of trail. Cabinet Mountains Wilderness has limits on the number of persons and stock when traveling in parties. Here is a list of all prohibited acts within the Wilderness.You can learn more about wilderness by visiting Wilderness.net Properly possess and store all food, refuse, and other attractants pursuant to Kootenai National Forest Food Storage Order (CFR 261.58 (cc)). Please practice Pack-in-Pack-out and Leave-No-Trace ethics | under 0.1 mi |
#972 N.F. Bull River Trailhead No season published No motorized vehicles. Mechanized vehicles: The first part of the trail, approximately 2 miles in length, follows an old road (FSR 2722). Mechanized use is not allowed past the end of FSR 2722. Cabinet Mountains Wilderness has limits on the number of persons and stock when traveling in parties. Included is a list of all prohibited acts. You can learn more about wilderness by visiting Wilderness.net Properly possess and store all food, refuse, and other attractants pursuant to Kootenai National Forest Food Storage Order (CFR 261.58 (cc)). Please practice Pack-in-Pack-out and Leave-No-Trace ethics | under 0.1 mi |
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.
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
- PrescribedD7 Lazy Jack - Rx
18 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedD7 Rx Timbuck Stew
27 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedD7 Rx Boulder Dash
30 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedD6 Rx Long Mountain
44 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.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the North Fork Bull River Trail?
The Forest Service records 4.8 miles under this name in Kootenai National Forest, the sum of 6 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the North Fork Bull River Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the North Fork Bull River Trail start?
The line begins at 48.1957° N, 115.8196° W and ends at 48.2396° N, 115.7444° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is #978 M.F. Bull River Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the North Fork Bull River Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Cabinet Mountains Wilderness
Where can I camp near the North Fork Bull River Trail?
Bad Medicine Campground (2.3 mi), Bad Medicine Campground (3.7 mi) and Dorr Skeels Campground (4.5 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 3 with site counts and booking links.
How developed is the North Fork Bull 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 North Fork Bull River Trail?
The typical grade is 10-12 percent on most segments and 12-20 percent on others. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the North Fork Bull 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 North Fork Bull River Trail?
Kootenai National Forest, Forest Service unit 0114. The trail is in Montana.
Is there a fire near the North Fork Bull River Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest D7 Lazy Jack - Rx at 18 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 6 segments named North Fork Bull River in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0114. 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.