Montana · Trail 108

Swamp Creek

Swamp Creek Trail is a 2.2-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 end46.2761° N, 111.7889° W · Directions ↗
Other end46.2595° N, 111.8317° 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

Length2.2 miles, all of it evaluated accessible
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityAt least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers108
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 Swamp Creek Trail20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.80 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.81 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.04 inches of precipitationApril: 2.03 inches of precipitationMay: 2.76 inches of precipitationJune: 3.13 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.39 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.31 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.42 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.34 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.93 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.86 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 22.9°F averageFebruary: 23.7°F averageMarch: 31.8°F averageApril: 39.4°F averageMay: 47.4°F averageJune: 54.7°F averageJuly: 62.9°F averageAugust: 62.2°F averageSeptember: 53.1°F averageOctober: 41.2°F averageNovember: 30.8°F averageDecember: 21.9°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Tizer Gardens, 12 miles from the trail midpoint at 4,672 feet, station USC00248239 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year. The station sits about 1,600 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed 06/01 to 10/31 (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

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.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Bonanza Ridge Rx

    3 mi from the trail midpoint · 550 acres

  • Prescribed
    Crow Creek Slim Sam Rx

    4 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,100 acres

  • Prescribed
    Johnny Bonanza Rx

    4 mi from the trail midpoint · 42 acres

  • Prescribed
    Alhambra Piles Rx

    15 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

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 Swamp Creek Trail?

The Forest Service records 2.2 miles under this name in Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, the sum of 1 segment. All of it is evaluated as accessible.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Swamp Creek 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 Swamp Creek Trail start?

The line begins at 46.2761° N, 111.7889° W and ends at 46.2595° N, 111.8317° 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 Swamp Creek 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 Swamp Creek Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. The camping section covers dispersed camping, which most National Forest land allows.

Source: Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

How developed is the Swamp Creek 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 Swamp Creek Trail?

The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Swamp Creek Trail accessible?

The Forest Service has evaluated 2.2 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is native material.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Swamp Creek 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 Swamp Creek Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Bonanza Ridge Rx at 3 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Swamp Creek 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.