Hike to Kenelty Mountain Lookout
Libby, Montana
Details
Distance
10.1 miles
Elevation Gain
3502 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by Gavin Pirrie
This moderately difficult hike to an old, abandoned fire lookout in the Salish Mountains is secluded in NW Montana.
Starting from Kalispell, take Hwy 2 west towards Libby. Follow the highway for 62.5 miles until mile marker 57 and turn right in 0.3 miles on to a cut across road for 0.3 miles. Take a left on to Road 763 and follow this road for 3.4 miles and take a right on to an unnamed road for 1.8 miles and take a right for 0.2 miles to the trailhead.
From the trailhead, the road continues for about a mile and a half until a clearing is reached. In this clearing, there will be a chute of trees that are cleared. This is marked and this is where the true trail begins. From this point, the trial is well defined. The trail ascends to the ridge in a short while with a decent amount of vertical gained. From the ridge, Kenelty Mountain is a decent 3 miles. When at the lookout, be cautious of the stability of the lookout. I would not recommend going in the lookout as the floor does not look stable in the least. The views all around are spectacular, although the trees have started to shield the view a slight amount due to the lookout being decommissioned. The return route is the same as the ascent.
*Bonus*
Rumor has it that there are caves near the lookout. While we were unable to locate these caves, there is evidence of the caves existence and there is a geocache located in one of them. Happy hunting!
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