Watchtower
Watchtower Trail is a 9-mile trail in Bitterroot National Forest, Montana and Idaho. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it. It enters Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.
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 | 45.7531° N, 114.4197° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 45.8186° N, 114.5312° 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 2 segments.
The trail
| Length | 9 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 699 |
| Forest | Bitterroot National Forest (unit 0103) |
| States | Montana, Idaho |
| 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.
Weather by month
Wilderness
- Selway-Bitterroot WildernessFS · about 70% 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
Watchtower Creek Trailhead No season published | 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
- PrescribedRx D4 Piquett Creek
13 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,210 acres
- PrescribedRx D2 Fern Creek 1.3C
18 mi from the trail midpoint · 269 acres
- PrescribedRx D3 Tepee 12 Johnson Wf Landings
36 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedScf Nz Pile Burn Rx
48 mi from the trail midpoint · 605 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and Montana
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Watchtower Trail?
The Forest Service records 9 miles under this name in Bitterroot National Forest, the sum of 2 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Watchtower Trail?
Bitterroot National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.
Where does the Watchtower Trail start?
The line begins at 45.7531° N, 114.4197° W and ends at 45.8186° N, 114.5312° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Watchtower Creek Trailhead, 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Watchtower Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Watchtower Trail?
Fales Flat Campground (1.2 mi) and Lost Spring Campground (2.6 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 2 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Watchtower 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 Watchtower Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Watchtower Trail?
Bitterroot National Forest, Forest Service unit 0103. The trail is in Montana and Idaho.
Is there a fire near the Watchtower Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx D4 Piquett Creek at 13 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 2 segments named Watchtower 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 November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.