Guided Horseback Pack Trips in the Bob Marshall Wilderness
Experience the Heart of the Montana Backcountry
A Montana horse packing trip is one of the most unique experiences in the west. We want you to experience an exceptional Montana vacation in the heart of the west by the old fashioned way – horseback. From the time you get checked in at Choteau, we take care of all the critical details to ensure your trip comes off without a hitch. Your journey with us into Montana’s famed Bob Marshall Wilderness will take you into country that is simply magnificent, but only accessible by riding trail horses or hiking. It is as remote as it is beautiful. Many hidden adventures await you along the trail and at the evening’s campsite.
The Bob Marshall is huge – larger than several eastern states! We never tire of exploring this wilderness and can’t wait to show you some of our favorite places (the vast meadows of the Sun River, the rugged canyons of the Flathead River, and the towering cliffs of the Chinese Wall on the Continental Divide). To get you started, look at some of the great photos from our guests and staff in the summer photo gallery.
So, get away from the daily grind, disconnect yourself, and let us show you why everyone falls in love with “The Bob”!
Choose Your Pack Trip Adventure
Springtime in the Rockies
Stunning landscape colors. Wildflowers, wildlife. Outstanding photography.
Forks of the Sun River
Summer Kick off! Amazing photography, gorgeous valley meadows, fishing, and hiking
Big River Country
Explore the upper stretch of this wild and scenice river basin. Fishing, hiking, photography!
Gates Park and Sun Valley
Superb riding, hiking, and fishing from comfy base camp on the North Fork Sun
North Chinese Wall
Progressive trip with cool campsites, spectacular vistas, hiking, and amazing riding
South Chinese Wall
Our longest trip, most miles. Spectacular riding and hiking scenery. Superb photo ops
Sun River Exploration
Explore the heart of the Bob from our Gates Park base camp. Excellent riding, fishing, hiking
Summer’s Twilight
This is our high-country hand off from summer to fall. Riding in fall colors, fantastic fishing
Here’s what some of our clients have to say about Circle 8 Outfitters
You have great stock, equipment, staff, and run a wonderful trip! Thank you.
You are awesome! The horses are a dream, and the mules, too. We loved them coming in and going out, so exciting and gorgeous. With appreciation and warmth
What a fantastic trip! Don’t ever think it’s just a job, you are making dreams come true.
North Chinese Wall
Watch this great video from one our repeat clients. It’s a fun video that captures the full trip end to end.
Seasons and Weather
June to Mid-July
Backcountry summers are pretty short. The snow runoff lasts until late June, and the water quality stabilizes in mid-July. Often, our snowpack lasts in the high basins well into July. Our waters run high and murky until early July. But by mid-July, they are running clear and cold. The best Montana fishing trips begin as soon as the water clears. The days are warm by then, but the evenings and early mornings can be chilly.
Mid-July to Late-August
You don’t need waders for mountain fly fishing, but you will need to pick your river crossing locations a carefully this time of year. Mid-July to late August is when we see the most consistently good weather. And that is a good thing for our fishermen. Our days gradually warm to the 70-80’s through the end of July and into August.
August is the hottest month in the backcountry. We can get daytime temperatures in the 90’s and mild evening temperatures. We get an occasional thunderstorm in August, but they are fast moving and infrequent. The terrestrial insect population explodes with activity this time of year and can put the trout into feeding frenzies on sunny afternoons. From time to time we get requests for Montana fishing trips around Labor Day. This is a great time to fish, as the nights are starting to cool but the days stay agreeably warm. This is the lowest water flow time of the year, and we seek out the headwaters where the streams are coldest and most predictable.
How hard is the horseback riding?
This country is fairly rugged. On your trip you will most certainly cross mountain passes, ford rivers, and cover a wide range of terrain from rolling meadows to heavy timber to wide open high alpine basins. We stick to well maintained trails. These trails often have bridges over the bogs and strategic deep river crossings. We occasionally have to go around, over, or through downfall caused by the wind from a summer rainstorm. Howeve, mostly the trails are in good shape. If you haven’t ridden much, you will be a little saddle sore. However, we stop about every 2 hours to give everyone a chance to stretch their legs and relax the riding muscles. Usually about 2-3 days into the trip you get quite acclimated to the riding.
How far do we ride on a typical travel day?
We generally go about 12-14 miles when we travel. We do not travel each day of your trip. The 5 day trips usually involve a ride into camp and 4 nights in that location, then a ride out of camp. We can take any number of day rides, usually 5-6 miles, on the days we do not travel. For trips longer than 5 days we typically travel every other day. This gives everyone a chance to enjoy the beautiful spots we tend to camp, and rest up a bit for the next travel day. Our longest rides can be 18 miles, which tend to be on the trips where traveling is a focus. Even then, we usually only have 1 day like that on any given trip.
Do I ride horses or mules on this trip?
Mule riding is popular in some areas of the west, but we use mules strickly for packing gear. They are the “pickup trucks” of the mountains. We and our guests ride horses. Our horse breeds are a mix of Quarter horse, Morgan, Tennesse Walker, and draft-crosses. We are picky about horses and keep the best natured, durable, most reliable stock for our outfit.
Can I bring my own saddle?
Definitely – if it’s a western saddle. If you ride a lot and are driving and have your own saddle that fits you right, this is a great place to bring it. You’ll be much more comfortable. We do not recommend riding english saddles on these mountain trails is not advisable.
How many guests are on a trip?
Our trip sizes range from 6-10 guests at a time. We often will put different groups of different sizes (couples, smaller groups) together on the same trip to get to an optimum trip size. We do take private party trips (one group only) and generally require those to be a minimum of 6 people. Our maximum is 12.
What if I've never ridden horses before?
That’s quite common for us. About 50% of our guests have never ridden before, and another 25% haven’t been on a horse in over 20 years. We’re used to having new riders. Our stock is very gentle, and well adapted to the trail. They get us from one camp to the next in a safe manner.
What gear to I need bring - and what is provided?
Our trips are all-inclusive. We provide all necessary camping gear, cooking gear, tack, etc. All you need to bring are your personal effects, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad. The tents are not big enough to accommodate cots so we recommend thicker sleeping pads. Sleeping pads can be inflatable or foam.
Do I need bring my own tent?
We provide the tents. The tents are quite large and provide plenty of room for 2 people and gear. If you are traveling single we provide you a private tent.
What do we do when not traveling between campsites?
We find most people look forward to the occasional layover day. Have no fear though – there is plenty to keep you busy on these days. For example, if you want to take a day ride most campsites have excellent options for a part-day rides to points of geologic, historical, or scenic interest. If you are interested in hiking, we have outstanding short hikes in most any direction from camp. These can be guided or unguided depending on your comfort level. We frequently find photographers want to strike out on their own to explore and capture photo shots near camp. It really is bound only by your interests and how much time you want to spend on that excursion that day.
What kind of food do we eat on the trip?
We have an excellent menu of western fare. We pack quite a bit of frozen fresh meat, and bring along fresh vegetables as well. Our meals include all manner of beef, chicken, pork, and fish. The breakfasts are hardy and include things like bacon, sausages, eggs, fresh fruits, and the ever popular pancakes and french toast. Lunches are generally on the trail or in the field, so they are light and portable but fun and varied. Things like sandwiches, cheeses and crackers, wraps, fruits, and other goodies keep us going during the day. We can also accommodate gluten free and vegetarian diets – we just need to know in advance so we can pack the food accordingly. It’s a long way to the grocery store from where we’ll be!
What is the minimum ages for kids to join a trip?
We find that kids do exceptionally well if they are around 10+. We like to see kids at least 8 and we can adjust the trip travel itineraries to ensure they distances are not too long between camps. There are a couple of trips that we advise kids be late teen-ages, as the days are longer and tend to draw more adults into the parties.
Is wine, beer, or other alcohol permitted on a trip?
Yes, we certainly allow adult beverages. Happy hour before dinner is often a universal social event on any excursion. We only request that you bring aluminum cans for beer, and plastic bottles (or transfer to plastic bottles) any alcohol. We prefer boxed wine, but understand many wine preferences do not come in a box. We want to see glass wine bottles wrapped in towels or other clothing to prevent damage during packing.