Springtime in the Rockies
Experience the Bob Marshall in exceptionally clear skies and colorful backdrop
A progressive travel trip through the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. Stunning mountain basins, snowcapped peaks, stream flush with snowmelt, and astounding wildflower coloration
Spectacular Route
A great route for riders and adventurers. We cross the continental divide twice, with fantastic elevation gain and superb photo ops
Beautiful Campsites
Our campsites are secluded and gorgeous. Stunning little meadows or broad glacial cirques. This is truly a get-away-from-it-all adventure
Riders & Adventurers
The riding is amazing with high mountain peaks, alpine basins, and broad glacial valleys. Hiking options abound in any direction
Stunning Scenery
Every day on this trip offers exceptional scenery and photo ops. The vistas are wide open with clarity and color only found in June
Springtime – Headwaters Expedition
Our spring trip (yes, in northern Montana spring starts in June) comes as soon as the snowdrifts shrink on the passes, the rivers become crossable, and there is enough grass for the stock to feed. We will cross Badger Pass, one of the hallmark passes with distance views into Glacier Park, the Swan Range, and the Great Plains. Unmatched scenery. The ride down Strawberry Creek is a delightful mix of new burn, old growth, meadows and beaver ponds. The climb through Gateway Gorge, a pair of 1,000 ft shear cliffs above the trail is a capstone day. Our campsite at Big River Meadows is one of the prettiest in the whole Bob Marshall. The ride around Swift Reservoir with deep blue water and broad timbered mountain slopes is an exceptional day as well.
Ready for your Montana Adventure?
5 days – 8 Available
June 23 to June 27, 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.
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 options are unlimited, with superb vistas rewarding those that want to climb to a ridge top.
June Weather
Warm days, crisp evenings
The last week of June is generally mild. Days are not hot – think low 70’s. Nights will be chilly with temps dipping into the low 30’s. Up here under the divide it takes a while to for the air to warm up, so our mornings remain cool and our afternoons start to dip before dinner. Thunderstorms are always a possibility in the mountains but June tends to not get many. The cold air makes for our hands-down best photography and the wildflowers are in full bloom.
Landscapes & Elevation
A Big Sky Extravaganza
The spring trip route has highly varied topography. This is a mostly open country, due to the higher elevations on the route. We also traverse through relatively new burned areas where regrowth is still short. Badger Pass is at 8,000 ft with amazing views in all directions. The North and South Fork Birch Creek are mostly open country with intermittent timber. The upper basins of Strawberry Creek and Gateway Gorge are at 6,200 ft, and we would not drop below that until we get to the trailhead.
What to Bring
Packing for late spring weather
The nearby recommended packing list will provide more details for what to bring on this trip. Our spring trip will have moderate days and cool nights. Having warm inner layers for sleeping will help those that need extra warmth at night.
The things that are important and make your trip most comfortable are layered clothing appropriate for late spring. 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.
Ready for Your Packtrip with Circle 8?
A superb trip for riders, photograhers, and adventurers. The season is fresh and ready for exploration