Climb Stanton Mountain

Rate this Adventure Montana › Howe Ridge Trailhead

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75 Saves

Added by Noah Couser

Enjoy a wonderfully painful test your endurance in climbing 4,600 feet. The summit offers breathtaking views of McDonald Valley and Lake.

To climb Stanton Mountain, begin at the Howe Ridge Trail on the Northwest shore of Lake McDonald. The trail climbs swiftly 2.3 miles to Howe Ridge where a "climber's trial" ambles off to your immediate right. Follow this trail directly up the ridge, up, and up, and up. The ridge opens up to some spectacular views of the Trout Lake Drainage to the North, and the McDonald Lake Drainage to the South. Total elevation gain is roughly 4,600ft, but it's worth every step.

Enjoy 360 degree views from the summit, and catch a glimpse of the ridge line that leaves Stanton to connect with Mount Vaught, McPartland, and eventually on to Heaven's Peak.

Be sure to bring bear spray and extra layers as weather can change quickly. A more detailed route description can be found here: summitpost.org

Pack List

Water (plenty of it)
Snacks
Camera
Extra layers
Rain jacket (you never know)
Route description and map
GPS
Bug spray
Bear spray

Please respect the places you find on The Outbound.

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures. Be aware of local regulations and don't damage these amazing places for the sake of a photograph. Learn More

Activities:

Hiking

Skill Level:

Intermediate

Season:

Summer

Trail Type:

Out-and-Back

Distance:

5.6 Miles

Elev. Gain:

4600 Feet

Rating:

Rate this Adventure

Features:

Scenic

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Added by Noah Couser

I'm a professional photographer living and working in Whitefish, Montana. I travel as much as I can with my beautiful wife Megan, and am always scheming a new adventure, or a new way to do an old trip. My passion is the outdoors, and getting people excited about recreating outside. By day, I teach PE and health at the local middle school, by night, I fight crime in a spandex jumpsuit... not really, but I do enjoy taking lots of pictures and working for cool outdoor companies when not at school throwing dodge balls at 8th graders.

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