Flathead National Forest · Montana

Spotted Bear River

33 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 83 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike

Campgrounds

Along the way Beaver Creek Campground

Trailhead Silvertip Trailhead Drive there

Silvertip Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

No fee. · reservation required · season 07/01 to

This is a free trailhead site located 68 miles south of the town of Hungry Horse on the gravel East Side Reservoir Road #38. The trailhead is located at an elevation of 4,400 feet and is open from July 1 through August 31. Silvertip Trailhead is situated at the end of the Spotted Bear River Road #568. The 6 parking spots are next to the road. The site is located in old growth stand of lodgepole pine. It gets moderate use. It is used as a base for accessing Spotted Bear River Trail #83 and Silvertip Creek Trail #89. There are no tables, metal fire rings, or vault toilet. There is no potable water, but water is available from Spotted Bear River a mile away, and must be treated prior to consumption. Stock is allowed at the site. There is a hitchrail and unloading ramp. Weed Seed Free Feed is required on all national forest lands. There is no garbage service and visitors need to plan to Pack It In, and Pack It Out. There is a food storage order in effect on all national forest land that requires that human and stock food, garbage, and other attractants be kept unavailable to bears. Your stay may not exceed 14 days. This is a remote location and there is no cell phone service in the area. The closest public phone is located 15 miles west at the Spotted Bear Ranger Station. Phone, gas, and food are located 68 miles north in the town of Hungry Horse.

Restrictions There is a 14 day stay limit, and also food storage requirements for human and stock food, garbage, and other attractants. See Visitor Guidelines.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Flathead National Forest

All 452 trails in Flathead National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.