Palisade
Palisade Trail is a 6.8 miles trail in Bitterroot National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Bitterroot 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 | 46.2849, -113.7841 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 46.3126, -113.8788 · 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
| Length | 6.8 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| National designation | National Recreation Trail or other national designation |
| Trail numbers | 44 |
| Forest | Bitterroot National Forest (unit 0103) |
| States | Montana |
| Detail published | basic characteristics |
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.
Trailheads
No season published | 0.2 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. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
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
- WildfireBlack Bear
8 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,126 acres · 80% contained
- WildfireNature Grove
10 mi from the trail midpoint · 1,422 acres · 0% contained
- WildfireBear Gulch
12 mi from the trail midpoint · 10 acres
- WildfireMoose
16 mi from the trail midpoint · 6,005 acres · 15% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Palisade Trail?
6.8 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Bitterroot National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Palisade Trail?
Bitterroot National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.
Where does the Palisade Trail start?
The line begins at 46.2849, -113.7841 and ends at 46.3126, -113.8788. The nearest recorded trailhead is Palisade Mountain NRT Trailhead, 0.2 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Palisade 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 Palisade Trail?
Crystal Creek Campground (4 mi) is within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Palisade 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 Palisade Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Palisade Trail a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Recreation Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Palisade Trail?
Bitterroot National Forest, Forest Service unit 0103. The trail is in Montana.
Is there a fire near the Palisade Trail?
4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Black Bear at 8 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named PALISADE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0103. 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.