Kootenai National Forest · Montana

Water Hill

11 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 845 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads #842 West Fork Cataract Trailhead Drive there · #845 Water Hill Trailhead Drive there · #848 Grouse Ridge Trailhead Drive there

#842 West Fork Cataract Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

West Fork Cataract Trail #842 follows the West Fork of Cataract Creek and links Cataract Creek Trail #847 with Water Hill Trail #845 offering loop hiking opportunities.

Access from Cataract Creek Trail #842 trailhead requires crossing the Vermilion River. This crossing is challenging and difficult for much of the year. There are not stream crossings for users who access the trail via Water Hill Trail #845.

West Fork Cataract Trail #842

Restrictions <ul><li><strong>No motorized use.&nbsp;</strong></li><li>Properly possess and store all food, refuse, and other attractants pursuant to Kootenai National Forest <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5424578.pdf">Food Storage Order</a> (CFR 261.58 (cc)).</li><li>Please practice Pack-in-Pack-out and Leave-No-Trace ethics.</li></ul>&nbsp; &nbsp;

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

#845 Water Hill Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Water Hill Trail #845 starts at Vermilion Bay and climbs to a major ridgeline which connects Water Hill, Cataract Peak, and Seven Point Mountain. Spectacular view of the Clark Fork River Valley can be seen from most of the trail.

Water Hill Trail #845

Restrictions <ul><li><strong>No motorized use.&nbsp;</strong></li><li>Properly possess and store all food, refuse, and other attractants pursuant to Kootenai National Forest <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5424578.pdf">Food Storage Order</a> (CFR 261.58 (cc)).</li><li>Please practice Pack-in-Pack-out and Leave-No-Trace ethics.</li></ul>&nbsp; &nbsp;

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Kootenai National Forest

All 465 trails in Kootenai 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.