more stats
1.5 miles
Distance
1,167 ft
Climb
-11 ft
Descent
5,053 ft
High Point
1,156 ft
Altitude change
3,898 ft
Altitude min
3,898 ft
Altitude start
5,053 ft
Altitude end
14.363%
Grade
-13.205%
Grade max
31.353%
Grade min
1 mile
Distance climb
280 ft
Distance down
28 ft
Distance flat

Sentinel Summit Details

  • Activities
    • Hike
    • Winter Fat Bike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Pattee Canyon
    Missoula, Montana
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Local Popularity
    95 in Hiking [+]
    • 100 in Trail Running
  • Global Ranking
    #23107 in Hiking [+]
    • #2000 in Trail Running
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T2 Mountain Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Direction
    Both Directions
    Popular In Reverse
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
  • Land Owner
    University of Montana

The Sentinel Summit trail is the gentler option to reach the top of Mount Sentinel. It begins with a long switchback that crosses the Sentinel Fire Road and passes an old mine site (bring a flashlight to explore) on its way to the upper mountain. After going through a copse trees the trail intersects briefly with the much steeper Hellgate Ridgeline trail and then begins a long sweep around the south side of the Mount Sentinel peak. At the end of the trail continue up a rocky road to reach the peak of Mount Sentinel.

Access Info

Starts just beyond the "M" on Mount Sentinel.

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 4 rides
  • 6 miles avg distance
All
  • 26 rides
  •  
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
update trails status or condition

Sentinel Summit Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jan 16, 2026 @ 4:19pm (America/Denver)
Jan 16, 2026
Mostly dirt with some patches of ice.
Jun 13, 2025 @ 8:18am
Jun 13, 2025
Mar 24, 2025 @ 4:04pm
Mar 24, 2025
Jul 9, 2024 @ 10:53pm
Jul 9, 2024
Feb 17, 2024 @ 4:50am
Feb 17, 2024
South aspects are muddy. North aspects are packed snow.
more »
Status:
on Jan 16, 2026
Variable
no votes yet
Your vote: 0

view (1,485)
close
3D
Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users activity logs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Ridden
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
  • < 2 days
  • < 1 week
  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
  • < 6 months
  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
  • most popular
  • popular
  • less popular
  • not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
cell carrier legend

Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Winter Trails
Warning A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status

Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.

map legend
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
disable
Only show trails with no bike usage.
Enable
Suggested Layers
Based on selected activity type

    Save the current map location and zoom level as your default home location whenever this page is loaded.

    Save
        Directions to sentinel-summit trailhead (46.859950, -113.975160)

        Photos

        1 more »
        report
        mtb
        64 |
        Apr 16, 2020 @ 1:13pm
        Apr 16, 2020

        Videos

        no videos have been added for Sentinel Summit yet, add a video.

        Reviews / Comments

        No reviews yet, be the first to write a review or ask a question.
        Use trail reports to comment on trail conditions.


        We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

        Create a FREE account to view trail comments and much more.

        • By MONTANABIKERMANTF Pro FTF & contributors
        • #88704 - 2,948 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Sentinel Summit

        Where is Sentinel Summit located?
        Sentinel Summit is located in Pattee Canyon, Missoula, Montana, United States. It is part of the Pattee Canyon trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 46.85995, -113.97516.
        How hard is Sentinel Summit?
        Sentinel Summit is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 14.363%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
        What is the elevation gain for Sentinel Summit?
        Sentinel Summit has 1,167 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 11 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 3,898 ft to 5,053 ft.
        Is Sentinel Summit a point to point trail?
        Sentinel Summit is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
        How long is Sentinel Summit?
        Sentinel Summit is 1.5 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
        Are dogs allowed on Sentinel Summit?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Sentinel Summit. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        When is the best time of year to hike Sentinel Summit?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to hike Sentinel Summit are:
        • June (4 activities)
        • May (2 activities)
        • October (1 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        How do I access Sentinel Summit? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Sentinel Summit are: View all parking locations in the area.
        How long does it take to hike Sentinel Summit?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 41 minutes to hike Sentinel Summit. The trail is 1.5 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        How busy is Sentinel Summit?
        Sentinel Summit is a very popular trail. There have been 1,195 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 1,463 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

        Hit the Trail

        Open in App

        Get this trail on your phone instantly.
        open trail in app

        Download Trail

        Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
        save the trail

        Find Related Routes

        Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
        find routes for this trail

        You must enter a description before submitting.