Walking Among Giants: A Visitor’s Guide to Ross Creek Cedars

Because this is repair-dependent and can change season to season, confirm the latest before you drive out. The Forest Service keeps the current status on the Kootenai National Forest – Ross Creek Scenic Area page and its alerts feed. When you’re staying at Shangrilog, a quick call to us before you head out is the fastest way to get the current word — (406) 295-0100.

Getting There from Bull Lake

From Shangrilog it’s about a 13-minute drive — roughly six miles — following Ross Creek Road and West Bull Lake Road along the west shore, past Bad Medicine Campground, to the turnoff for the grove. The grove sits off Montana Highway 56, a little south of Bull Lake, where a paved side road climbs west to the trailhead. The final approach road is paved but steep and winding, with a trailer parking area at the base — if you’re towing anything, leave it there and drive up light.

The Trail: What to Expect

The main attraction is the self-guided nature loop — a wide, gentle path of just under a mile (about 0.9 mile) that winds through the biggest trees. It’s an easy walk suitable for most ages and abilities under normal conditions, with interpretive signs on the grove’s ecology and history and benches set out for simply sitting and looking up. Most visitors take their time; an unhurried hour is about right, longer if you like to linger.

If you want more, a longer trail continues up-valley beyond the loop along Ross Creek toward waterfalls and the high country — a real day hike rather than a stroll. That’s optional and more rugged; the loop alone is the reason most people come. Note that after the winter damage, sediment has blurred parts of the historic trail alignment, so follow the cleared route and posted signs rather than an old memory of the path.

This is bear country. Wildlife encounters right at the busy grove are uncommon, but carry bear spray, make a little noise if you head up the longer trail, and keep dogs leashed.

Best Time to Visit

The grove is rewarding year-round, but each season changes the feel of it.

Late spring through early summer

Ferns unfurl, Ross Creek runs full and loud with snowmelt, and everything is vivid green. The forest floor is at its lushest. This is prime time — which also means the parking area fills on nice weekends, so go early for the grove to yourself.

Summer

The deep shade of the canopy stays cool on hot afternoons, which makes the grove a natural midday escape when the lake is baking. Mornings are quietest; midday brings the most company.

Fall

Crisp air, thinner crowds, and the surrounding larch turning gold on the slopes above the evergreen grove. A lovely, calm time to visit, and it pairs beautifully with fall color around Bull Lake.

Winter

Under snow the grove is hushed and striking, and in normal years the area draws snowshoers and cross-country skiers. Access depends entirely on road and snow conditions — and, right now, on the storm-damage closure — so winter visits require checking status first and coming prepared for cold and limited services.

What to Bring

• Sturdy, comfortable shoes — the loop is easy but can be damp, and post-storm footing is uneven in places.
• Layers and a rain shell — the grove holds moisture and stays cool even on warm days.
• Water and a packed-out picnic — with services closed, bring everything in and take everything out.
• Bear spray, especially if you continue past the loop onto the longer trail.
• A camera — the scale of the trees is genuinely hard to capture, but you’ll want to try.
• Cash/plan for no facilities — no reliable restrooms or trash service during the closure.

Make a Day of It: Ross Creek Cedars from Shangrilog

At about 13 minutes from the cabin, the grove is a half-day outing at most, which makes it easy to build into a fuller day from Bull Lake. A classic pairing: an early walk among the cedars while it’s quiet, a streamside picnic (in normal conditions, near the parking area; during the closure, pack a spot in mind), then back to the lake for an afternoon on the water — the dock, a paddle, a swim — and a fire in the evening.

The cedars also slot naturally alongside the area’s other landmarks. Kootenai Falls — one of Montana’s largest undammed falls — and the wider Cabinet Mountains are close enough to combine into a full sightseeing day. For more on the area and how the pieces fit together, see our Explore the area page, and if you’re still choosing where to base yourself, our guide to places to stay near Ross Creek Cedars lays out the options.

Shangrilog itself makes an easy home base: a handcrafted log cabin on 85 feet of private Bull Lake shoreline, sleeping up to ten, with the dock, the decks, and Cabinet Mountain views waiting when you come back down from the trees. If you’re weighing the trip, take a look at The Experience for a feel of the stay, or the broader things to do near Bull Lake for the rest of the area.