Montana, Western US

Montana Summits: Storm Castle Peak

Diana

After returning from our road trip, we still had one full day before my flight back to Denver. Never ones to waste a day of sunshine, my mom and I decided to squeeze in one more hike. So we headed down Gallatin Canyon to climb Storm Castle, a 7165 foot (2184 m) summit. This is a fairly popular hike, although somewhat less so than other nearby hikes, and when we arrived at the trailhead around 9:30am on a Sunday, we secured one of the last spots in the main parking area. By the time we returned around 1:30pm, the lot was overflowing. Long story short, start early… but not as early as you’d have to start in Colorado.

The trail climbs fairly steadily, gaining about 1800 feet (550 m) in 2.5 miles (4 km). It’s a reasonably steep hike, but we took it slow and it wasn’t so bad. As we ascended, we could see the rocky summit through periodic gaps in the trees. It looked so far above us.

The rocky summit of Storm Castle, as seen from the trail

There are two separate things to see on the summit. One is the keyhole. As you approach the summit, take the left fork and climb to this arch in the rock. It’s large enough to stand in and you can get some neat photos from here.

Photo of the summit as seen from the keyhole

Then, head right to the actual high point for the most panoramic views. 

As I was snapping photos from on top of the keyhole, I captured one with two people sitting on the highest point of the summit. Once we made our way over to the summit, I showed them the photo and asked if they wanted a copy. The woman gave me her number so I could text it… and she had a Denver area code! So we started chatting, and it turned out she and her fiancé have done basically the opposite of me… they grew up in Denver and now live in Bozeman. We all agreed it was difficult to decide if Colorado or Montana was more amazing. It was a fun conversation; I always enjoy finding connections with random people on trails.

After chatting for a while and eating a snack, my mom and I made our way back down the trail. It was all downhill so we made good time. And the next morning, I waved goodbye to Montana for the time being and flew back to Denver. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky the entire way and we flew over Yellowstone and Grand Teton. I saw the Tetons, Lower Falls of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone Lake, and erupting geysers from the air. It might just have been the most amazing flight of my life!

Flying over the Gallatin Valley
Yellowstone Lake (right of center) and the Tetons (mountain range in the top left corner)

The Important Stuff:

  • Getting there: Storm Castle trailhead is about 2 miles (3.2 km) up Storm Castle Road off Highway 191 in Gallatin Canyon
  • Fees and passes: none
  • Hiking: round trip is about 5 miles (8 km) with 1800 feet (550 m) of elevation gain
  • Where to stay: this is easily done as a day hike from Bozeman, Big Sky, or anywhere around Gallatin Canyon. For overnight stays, there are dozens of camping and lodging options in all three locations.
  • Other: Although this is a relatively low summit, there are no trees on the rocky high points and you are very exposed up there… plan for an early start to avoid being caught in the open during an afternoon thunderstorm

Published by Diana

Hiking, road-tripping, and handstanding my way around the US (currently) and the world (hopefully in the not-so-distant post-COVID future… if such a thing exists)

22 thoughts on “Montana Summits: Storm Castle Peak”

  11. Looks beautiful! I love the snow capped mountains. I always feel very lucky when I can find a parking spot. When I hike with my sister she likes being the first one out, but Jon is not a morning person so it’s always a gamble finding parking ha!

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  12. The views are spectacular, Diana, and so is the gorgeous blue sky! I very much like the last few photos were taken from the plane window – there’s something dreamy about gazing out an aeroplane window at take-off. You’re only hours from landing at the destination of your dreams, and you get the chance to cruise literally amongst the clouds. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. I think it helps that I know my way around Yellowstone with my eyes closed so I knew where to look and what I was seeing. Hopefully one day you get to fly over it on a clear day and see the sights as well!

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  15. Incredible views, as per usual from this beautiful part of the US! It’s wild that you were able to see so much of the views from above, to the point you could see all the way to the Grand Teton AND Yellowstone (and holy cow, seeing geysers erupting??). Glad to see you had a lovely time in Montana, and your series has given me inspiration to head over there all the more!

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