Mileage: 8-mile round trip
Elevation Gain: 2,807 feet
Difficulty: Hard
Summit Elevation: 6,585 ft
USGS Map: Spar Lakes, Mount Pend Oreille
GPS: 48°13’25” N 115°59’14: W
Ranger District: Three River Ranger District, 406-295-4693
Description: The Spar Peak trail is exceedingly memorable. It can be done as a day trip, but it is also the perfect recipe for a backpacking adventure in Montana’s rugged Cabinets. The location is ideal for linking up Spar Lake and Little Spar Lake, with endless amounts of fun to be had.
After driving down winding dirt roads leading to the trailhead, the trail begins on a flat stretch about one mile long, just enough to get the legs warmed up for the awaiting steep ascent. Hanging a left at the fork, the journey up through giant cedars and hemlocks begins. Meandering through this dense forest and hopping over little mountain creeks will eventually bring you to the summit’s
west facing ridgeline. Depending on the time of season, you will need to be prepared to walk through a snow field.
As the trail wraps up the ridge, views of The Cabinets begin to open in all directions, displaying the true beauty of this wild landscape. The peaks summit shows remnants of a forgotten lookout tower and glimpses of Lake Pend Oreille. There is also a pretty good chance of seeing mountain goats! Soak it all in before heading back down, with more gorgeous views of Spar Lake and The Cabinets to the east.
Remember to come prepared. You’ll want to bring:
- Plenty of water. There is no water along the trail and the first two miles is on a mostly exposed and sunny slope.
- Hiking Poles. The trial is steep with loose rock.
- A map. The trail can be hard to find sometimes.
- Long pants. Overgrown brush, downed trees, can be abundant in early summer before our volunteer trail crew clears the path.
- A trowel to do your business and a bag for your trash. There is a bathroom at the Spar Lake Campground but no bathroom at the official trailhead. On the trail, you’ll have to bury your business and pack out your toilet paper.
Getting to the Trailhead: From MT-56, turn west onto Troy Mine Road (aka Asarco Mine Road) located between milepost 24 and 25, a few miles north of Bull Lake. After about 3 miles, turn right onto FR-7148 (gravel) and follow that for 1.5 miles. It will merge with FR-384 (mostly blacktop); follow that for 3-4 miles to Spar Lake. At the campground take the dirt road to the right and continue to the trailhead, about 2 miles. Hike roughly half a mile on Little Spar Lake Trail 148 to the trailhead of #324. Alternatively, you could park at the eastern end of Spar Lake and hike the Big Spar Lake trail to the trailhead of Spar Peak; these trail seamlessly connect.
