Trail contains no technical obstacles
You are entering bighorn sheep range in this summit’s area. Two trail options are available. Both are great trail hikes all the way to the summit. The dry environment of this area makes it a good early Spring or late Fall season hike. Wind can be challenging on the upper grassland ridges and summit, but there are groups of trees to shelter behind.
0.5 miles, +160 ft, -35 ft
This is a short hike to a rocky knob on the continental divide.
From the Bernice Exit on I-15 (Exit 151) between Boulder and Butte, take the Boulder River Road west as follows:
0.0 Exit I-15 at Bernice
3.2 Turn right and cross the Boulder River, then continue westwardly.
10.1 Stay on the main road (left) at the Indian Creek turn off.
Cinnabar Point is currently a mature lodgepole forest on a rolling summit. In the 1980s the summit sported a dilapidated pole tower structure that may have been used as a lookout, but has since fallen and rotted. It is an easy mountain bike ride up a permanently closed road and then a short climbing trail to an off-trail gradual assent to the summit.
East Crater is a peak in the Indian Heaven wilderness. Three years ago, the south side and ridgeline of East Crater were completely burned by a fire that ended up burning about 500 acres in the area, and this fire caused the evacuation of the entire Indian Heaven wilderness area in September of 2017. Not much has grown back on the south side, while the north side, essentially untouched by the fire, is thick with trees.
Mount Tiny is within the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Area near Georgetown Lake. Mount Tiny is a great SOTA double with its neighbor Little Rainbow Mountain, W7M/BR-071.
The summit provides excellent views of high mountain lakes and open alpine SOTA peaks. A glass jar register filled with paper is tucked into the summit rocks.
Elevation gain: 2700’ from Storm Lake.
Trail Miles: 5.5 roundtrip.
Off-trail miles: 1 mile roundtrip.
Little Rainbow Mountain is within the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Area. The summit provides excellent views of high mountain lakes and open alpine SOTA peaks. Little Rainbow is a great SOTA double with its neighbor Mount Tiny, W7M/BR-079
Elevation gain: 2800’ from Storm Lake.
Trail Miles: 4.5 roundtrip.
Off-trail miles: 1.4 miles roundtrip.
Water: Depending the time of year a stream exists above Storm Lake along the trail. Then none exists along the trail.
Three Lakes Peak is just within the Flathead Indian Reservation along the Reservation Divide. The summit has great views of the Confederate Salish-Kootenai Tribes land, the Flathead River, three alpine lakes, the Mission Mountains and the Ninemile Valley. A Flathead Reservation Use Permit is required.
Two routes are described. The Alternate route is shorter, but much steeper and nearly double the elevation gain. The Reservation DivideTrail is good, but in some meadow crossings it is easy to lose the trail due to forb and grass overgrowth.
Vermilion Peak is accessed via a moderately climbing trail in the southern Cabinet Mountains. It also makes an easy SOTA double when teamed up with Mount Headley, W7M/LO-018. The summit has fine views of nearby summits and distant peaks, like the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area.
Be sure to stop and view Graves Creek Falls while traveling the Graves Creek Road to the summit. A large pullout on the Northside of the road is at about mile 3.0. It is not signed.
Mount Headley is easily accessed via a moderately climbing trail in the southern Cabinet Mountains. It also makes an easy SOTA double when teamed up with Vermilion Peak, W7M/LO-056. The summit is the tallest in the area and has fine views of nearby summits, lakes and distant peaks. Be sure to stop and view Graves Creek Falls while traveling the Graves Creek Road to the summit. A large pullout on the Northside of the road is at about mile 3.0. It is not signed.
