Strawberry Creek Trail

Strawberry Creek Trail (#161) is a hiking route in Flathead National Forest that climbs to the head of Strawberry Lake, ending at the junction with Alpine Trail #7. The route is mapped as a footpath on ground surface and carries a long-distance hike label with a segment count of 3 in the mapped relation.

The hike is typically run as an out-and-back around 5.8 miles round-trip, with about 1,676 feet of elevation gain and a common time window of roughly 3.5 to 4 hours.

The tread starts by switching up a wooded conifer ridge; after you gain most of the elevation in the first half, the trail eases into a sidehill section for about 1.5 miles toward the lake.

At the 2.8-mile point, Strawberry Creek Trail reaches Strawberry Lake’s head and intersects Alpine Trail #7, giving a natural turnaround or extension option.

Access to the trailhead is described from the Bigfork area: drive north on MT-35 to MT-83, continue on MT-83 to Echo Lake Road, then follow Foothill Road to Forest Service Road #5390 for the final approach to the trailhead at the road end.

The lake area supports resting and recreation at a small gravel beach, and it’s also described as a place where fishing is possible; from the junction you can either turn back or continue via Alpine Trail #7 into the Jewel Basin area.

More information: Hiking Trails: Strawberry Lake » Montana's Flathead Lake, Strawberry Lake - Discover Kalispell, Strawberry Lake - Flathead Beacon