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North Fork of the Sun Tour

A signature Montana mountain valley experience

Trip Details

Trip Date:

07/17/2024 - 07/22/2024

Trip Type:

Stock Supported

Number of Days/Nights:

6 Days - 5 Nights

Distance:

33mi

Distance with Day Hikes:

50mi

Rating:

Price Per Person:

$0

Availablity:

Available

Apply for this Trip:

Online Reservation

Highlights

  • Blue-Ribbon trout fishing
  • Beautiful vistas
  • Excellent swimming holes
  • Peak climbing
  • Remote mountain valley
  • Wildlife watching

Description

Hike through one of the last truly pristine large river valleys in the lower 48 states on this 6-day trip. The North Fork of the Sun River is framed by the Sawtooth Range to the east and the Chinese Wall escarpment to the west, collecting water from small mountain streams for almost 30 miles and making it an angler’s dream and a hiker’s paradise. The mountains, rivers, and valleys all seem bigger on this trip as peaks rise over 3,000’ from the valley floor.

We will travel most of the length of the North Fork, having plenty of opportunities to cast a line into the river or explore the timbered ridges that rise from the valley. For those who enjoy a little scramble, we’ll climb to Beartop Lookout (8094′), a towering sentinel above the North Fork.

The first day involves a significant climb over a mountain pass that affords unparalleled views of the Great Plains to the east and the Chinese Wall to the west. After the pass, all travel days are relatively mellow, with opportunities to get up high on layover day hikes. With the presence of frequent smaller wildfires, the valley has retained an open feel, with parks, aspen groves, and patches of unburned timber making it attractive to humans and wildlife alike. We have seen elk, bears, moose, and wolves in the North Fork – Montana’s very own Serengeti. For the final leg of our journey, we’ll ride a boat down Gibson Reservoir to the trailhead, allowing us to sit back and enjoy the beautiful Sun Canyon reefs.

This trip is wonderful for avid hikers, those who want to relax along the river, and backcountry anglers. It offers great swimming holes, plenty of day hikes, wildlife viewing, and a matchless opportunity to explore a large portion of the wild North Fork of the Sun River Valley.

Please call or email for more details.
(406) 461-2114 or (406) 403-1902
[email protected]


TRIP CANCELLATION POLICY

Deposits are required at booking and are non-refundable. Trip balances are due by May 15 for summer trips and August 1 for fall trips unless otherwise specified. The balances are non-refundable after these due dates. We only give complete refunds in the event that you do not successfully draw a tag. Other than a non-successful draw, we do not give refunds for any reason. This includes but is not limited to: route changes due to wildfires, smoke, floods, trail conditions, a non-harvest hunt, or unprecedented weather events. We do not give refunds if personal health inhibits you from participating on a trip including exposure to an airborne virus or illness. Because of this, we STRONGLY recommend purchasing trip insurance.
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Trip Rating Definitions


 

Moderate

  • 6 – 10 mile travel days with some of those days requiring changes in elevation of 500 – 1500 ft. over several miles. Short portions of route may be off-trail.


Moderately Difficult

  • 8 – 12+ mile travel days with regular change in elevation totaling 2,500 feet, or more, over several miles. Off-trail hiking and routing finding with short portions of limited exposure possible.


Strenuous

  • 7 – 12+ mile travel days with regular changes in elevation over a few miles. Frequent off-trail hiking over uneven terrain with areas of exposure and route finding may be involved.


*Please note these descriptions are used for travel days only and are our attempt to provide a rating for the overall trip difficulty. On layover days we will offer optional hiking opportunities that may not be in keeping with the rest of the trip difficulty rating.


Additionally, changes in elevation are meant to represent the days’ starting and ending elevations, but not necessarily the total elevation lost and gained throughout the course of the day. If you have questions or concerns regarding trip difficulty and your abilities, please contact us.