Hilgard Peak

Highest Summit in the Madison Range

Hilgard Peak, 11,316 ft, in Southwest Montana’s Madison Range, is the loftiest summit in Montana outside the Beartooth Range. Deep in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, it is situated northwest of Yellowstone National Park in Southwest Montana.

It was named for E.W. Hilgard, a geologist who accompanied the Hayden Expedition on their exploration of what would be called the Greater Yellowstone. The first known ascent was in 1948 during a ski mountaineering expedition.

There are several ways to reach Hilgard, but the closest to a road starts from US 287, half a mile east of the Madison Valley West Fork Rest Area. Take the signed road to Papoose Creek (Trailhead #26) and follow Trail #355 for four to five miles, passing a northern creek fork.

After leaving the thick timber, look for a sloping mass of loose rock fragments on the left. The rock mass’s edge provides the easiest route for hiking or skinning up the headwall into the high basin, which lies south of Hilgard Peak and Point 11,062. Upon reaching the basin, stay left of the creek to find ideal camping spots near a spring and several small benches. There is still plenty of scrambling on this trail, and it is only for the most experienced hikers.

A summit attempt up Hilgard Peak must consider the weather, as the mountain is at a very high altitude, which means that it snows quite early in the fall and doesn’t thaw until the summer months.

Madison Range geology consists of ancient limestone known as the Madison Limestone, which is an important water source and aquifer. Ancient metamorphic basement rock has also been uplifted and exposed to the surface by tectonic forces over long periods. The peak itself consists of crystalline volcanic rocks.

The closest towns with services for travelers are West Yellowstone and Ennis.