Bitterroot National Forest

This unnamed summit is a bald rocky grassland overlooking a large mostly roadless area (Allan Mountain 01946) and the southern end of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area. It has a very good trail, FS #178 due in part to regular trail maintenance through a huge amount of fire-killed fallen trees. The hike also travels through large southerly-aspect grassland-slopes that could be quite warm during mid-day summer months.

Snags are available around the summit for hanging wire antennas.

FS #728 is a good road suitable for all highway type vehicles to the trailhead. 

Saddle Mountain is near the Lost Trail Pass Ski Area. The SOTA summit access road serves the upper facilities of the ski area. A high clearance vehicle can drive to within 0.25 miles of the summit. The summit has good views. It is very open and rocky with limited space for long wire antennas. 

Trail miles: 0.5 roundtrip

Elevation gain: 140’

Water:  Available at the Rest Area at Lost Trail Pass, Highway #93. None along the access road or summit.

The Roundtop name matches well this broad round summit.  It was intensely burned, twice with very few snags and live trees remaining now.  Even though the hike is short, considerable downfall impedes travel over many routes. Google Earth is a good resource here to identify areas with less snags and stringers of unburned forest.  I traveled in a lightly burned forest stringer due west of the summit breaking into the open brush and grass area near the summit.

Bare Cone Lookout is a popular drive-up destination, motorcycle, quad 4-wheeler and auto, on the Bitterroot National Forest. Visitors travel here to visit an active US Forest Service Lookout and to experience the outstanding vistas of managed forest, wild forest landscapes and the rugged southern end of the Selway Bitterroot Mountains. A trail passes near the summit. The trail is on the historic southern route of the Nez Perce people, access to hunting bison on the vast Montana plains to the east.

Castle Rock is a popular hike from Nez Perce Pass on the Bitterroot National Forest. It can also be accessed from a trailhead near Bare Cone Lookout to the east. Both routes are about the same distance and terrain. The last 200 feet is a scramble to the summit over loose rock and bedrock from either a notch in the cliffs on the west side or more open loose rock routes on the east side. Most folks will be using both hands and feet on this one. Summit views are tremendous to the north where you’ll be looking into the rugged southern mountains of the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness Area.