South Chinese Wall

An epic trip along an iconic western landmark

Eight day trip into the heart of the Bob for an unforgettable visit to a Montana landmark, the south Chinese Wall on the Continental Divide. This trip has great elevation change from multiple passes, the Sun River valley, upclose riding under this iconic part of Montana

Book Trip

Spectacular Route

This route takes you on an epic adventure to the heart of the Bob Marshall. Riding underneath the 1,000 ft Chinese Wall is unforgettable

Multiple Campsites

This route takes you to several different campsites, each with it’s unique charm. You will have plenty of time to explore on our layover days

Riders & Adventurers

This is a key-stone trip for horse riders with lots of miles and photography. There are many opportunities for hiking exploration and a little fishing as well.

Iconic Scenery

This route is varied with old growth timber, new growth, and lots of open country in the alpine basins. We spend substantial time under the divide affording us amazing views

South Chinese Wall Expedition

Our longest and most epic progressive travel adventure of the summer. This 8 day trip travels frequently as we head up to the high country under the Wall. You will cover about 80 miles on horseback on this trip. Our campsites vary from lower valley sites to high alpine sites nestled on either side of the Continental Divide.

The route is particular impressive, with significant elevation gain over its total length. We will cross three high alpine mountain passes, pass through vast old growth forests and ride beneath the 1,000 foot cliff of the Chinese Wall for a day.

The hiking opportunities are abundant. Wildlife are common in the alpine meadows at the head of Moose Creek, Rock Creek, and White River. The views are as wide open as the Big Sky.

There is a good fishing on the Sun River and White River if that is on your checklist.

Ready for your Montana Adventure?

8 days – CLOSED for 2026 – Coming again in 2027

August 7 to August 14, 2026

Your Days in the Wilderness

Each day starts with a hearty breakfast to prepare you for a full day of adventure. On travel days we start pretty early, with the stock going out before daylight. Breakfast follows pretty quickly. You will have a sack lunch each day so on layover days you can explore on your own and on travel days we’ll be moving to the next location. We always do a great dinner for you towards evening with hearty western fare. On most nights we’ll set up a fun campfire for everyone to enjoy. The Bob Marshall skies rare amazing at night if you can stay up until dark.

Day 1 - Headquarters Pass

Crossing Headquarters Pass into Sun River Wilderness

We begin at the South Fork Teton trailhead and pack up for the ride into the wilderness. Within the first two hours, we crest Headquarters Pass at 7,700 feet, a memorable highlight of the trip.

From the basin below the pass, the trail gradually descends along Headquarters Creek into the North Fork Sun River Valley, opening into wide-angle vistas and prime wildlife habitat. Elk, black bear, deer, and other wildlife are commonly seen along this natural travel corridor.

We settle for the night at our semi-permanent camp at Gates Park along the Sun River.

Riding distance: 14 miles

Day 2 - Gates Park

A Day to Explore

If you’re up for a day ride, we often go to Biggs Creek Meadows to explore and see some incredible views of the continental divide to the west and the Sun River valley in all other directions. For the fishermen, you’ll want to get on the water right after breakfast and start dueling with the river trout.

Day 3 - Moose Creek

Vistas, Meadows and Valleys

We pack up today for our journey along the Nortj Fork Sun before turning west up to the head of Moose Creek. The day starts with broad meadows and aspen groves before turning to older timber before we find our secluded camp on Moose Creek for a well earned riding break.

Riding distance: 12 miles

Day 4 - Chinese Wall and Larch Hill Pass

The South Wall

We get an early start and finish our ride up Moose Creek. As the valley opens to the alpine basin we get our first glimpses of the stunning Chinese Wall. At the base of the Wall we turn north towards Rock Creek and ride beneath the Chinese Wall through broad glacial basins. Wild flowers, small glaciers, augment our spectacular ride. We do ocassionally see elk in these basins and mountain goats on the cliffs above us. At the first break in the cliffs we come to Larch Hill Pass, where we will cross the divide and drop into White River for the evening.

Riding distance: 15 miles

Day 5 - White River

Beautiful Basin under the Wall

The upper basin of White River is broad and full of small streams. Our camp here is nestled between the imposing Chinese Wall to the east and Silvertip Mountain to the west. A prettier camp would be hard to find. We explore this area by hiking or short day rides in the basin.

Day 6 - Rock Creek Ride

Rock Creek and the Wall

We pack up and begin the climb out of White River up over Larch Hill Pass. At the top we turn east and head down towards My Lake, a small hidden gem nestled under the divide. We continue on down to the valley floor of Rock Creek and past Rock Creek cabin. This used to be the staging area for a nearby fire lookout on Moose Ridge on the imposing cliff strewn ridge above us to the south. The trail continues along a broad valley floor before we slowly turn north towards Gates Park where we arrive in camp that afternoon. It’s a welcome sight after an exhilerating day coming out of White River.

Riding distance: 18 miles

Day 7 - Gates Park Exploration

A Day to Explore

This is our last day to spend doing whatever you want. For those that want a few more miles, we have some wonderful day rides. Hiking options are in every direction. For the fishermen, there will be a lot of trout still hungry on the North Fork.

Day 8 - A Scenic Ride Home

Morning Light and One Last Pass

We break camp early and head back over Headquarters Pass, starting before the heat and dust of the day. Lunch is enjoyed in the basin below the pass, where mountain goats and bighorn sheep are often seen on the surrounding slopes.

The ride concludes at the South Fork Teton trailhead in the early afternoon.

Riding distance: 14 miles

Activities & Experience

Ideal for Mixed Groups of Riders and Adventurers

This trip is rich in opportunity for fantastic trail riding, hiking, scenery, and photography. You do not need to be an experienced horse rider to go on this trip. However, if you are experienced this will be a very unique trail riding adventure. Every camp has something unique to offer. The hiking and riding along the Chinese Wall are an incredibly unique and rare opportunity and you will have a lot of options for both. There is excellent fishing at Gates Park on the Sun River and technically challenging high alpine fishing in White River.

Weather

Warm, Clear Days and Cool Nights

August is our warest month, and we take this trip to the South Wall this time of year because the route is very high and the air is colder. Days can be warm, in the 80’s. Nights are cool, and early mornings cool but not cold. You will see temps dip into the low 40’s at night. We have a LOT of sun during the day, so be prepared with hats and sunscreen. There are occassional thunderstorms this time of year, so having some light raingear is important. These storms blow through quickly but are known for spectacular lightning shows

Landscape & Elevation

Big Sky Country!

This is one of our most varied trips in terms of elevation changes. The trip starts by peaking at 8,000 ft at Headquarters pass then dropping to the Sun Valley at 5,600 feet. Then we make a gradual climb up Moose Creek to the base of the Wall at 7,200 ft before crossing Larch Hill pass at 7,600 ft down the the White River valley at 6,000 ft. Upong leaving White River we climb back up Larch Hill pass and gradually drop down Rock Creek back to Gates Park on the Sun River. Our last day is up Headquarters Creek and over HQ Pass at 8,000 ft. You will cover about 80 trail miles on this trip.

The landscape can defy description. High alpine passes and basins. Large open meadows along the Sun River. Ancient old growth timber on Rock Creek. Multiple burn/regrowth forests on Moose Creek and White River. Massive 700 million year old limestone cliffs and even older red shale peaks. Open ridges and hidden lakes. Each day presents different landscapes with different perspectives with outstanding photography options and all framed by our famous Big Sky backdrop.

Looking for fishing options on this trip?

What to Bring

Packing for August in the Mountains

Our recommended camping gear list is downloadable from the link below. As a summary however, you’ll want to keep in mind the following specifics about this trip. There are 4 travel days and 3 lay over days (non-traveling).

This trip covers some incredible country ranging from the beautiful vistas of the Sun Valley in early summer. The average riding day is 11 miles and we travel every other day. This trip has great opportunity for riders, photographers, hikers, fishermen, and explorers.

The things that are important and make your trip most comfortable are layered clothing appropriate for early summer. It can get hot during the day, but the nights will be surprising cool.

We can also get a thunderstorm on any given day, so you’ll need good rain gear that you can wear riding or hiking. Comforable hiking/riding shoes are a must, and a good assortment of hiking socks varying from light to medium weight. Also, you may consider chaps for riding, or silk under your jeans as we do have some ground to cover on horseback. This will mitigate chafing.

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