We had no idea about this small funky city in Montana until our friend Matt told us to come visit him. Thankfully we made the stop during our US road trip and landed in Missoula for a week.

The landscape is gorgeous, but we had no idea there was any hiking in Missoula!

After the first day, Matt mentioned that the M trail via Mount Sentinel is a classic morning or afternoon hike people do all the time in Missoula.

So during one of our first days when the weather was right, we decided to give this mountain a shot and go hike up to the M. From there we continued up towards Mount Sentinel. The beauty of this hike is that essentially it’s one hike with two endpoints.

Depending on how much time you have and how long you want to hike you can choose the easier or harder option.

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The M trail via Mount Sentinel is a fun local hike in Missoula

Practical information about The M Trail in Missoula

Official trail name: The “M” Trail
Distance: 1.9 km return / 1.18 miles return
Elevation: 196 m / 643 ft. elevation gain
Type: Out and back
Length: 1-1.5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Practical information about Mt Sentinel summit hike

Official trail name: Mount Sentinel via Hellgate Ridgeline
Distance: 5 km return / 3.1 miles return
Elevation: 578 m / 1896 ft. elevation gain
Type: Out and back
Length: 2-3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Missoula is a fun little city with a very outdoorsy vibe to it. It’s located in the “hub of the five valleys” so you can imagine there’s a lot of hiking to do near Missoula!

The M trail is located literally right on the edge of the city right next to the University of Montana. You will get some amazing views of downtown Missoula and the University Campus. You’ll get an aerial view of the Grizzly football stadium and the Clark Fork River that passes through Missoula (a great place to go whitewater river rafting in Missoula.)

University of Montana in Missoula.

M Trail vs Mount Sentinel

Both the M trail and Mount Sentinel are great hiking trails in Missoula and they both lead you to “The M” which has been one of Missoula’s landmarks dating back all the way to 1908. We definitely didn’t want to miss out on this day hike that’s been popular with residents and students since basically forever.

The main difference between the two hikes is the elevation gain and time. Hiking up the M Trail to the iconic landmark is short but steep while hiking up to the peak of Mt Sentinel adds an extra 400 meters or 1312 feet of elevation gain to the hike. So there is quite a big difference in elevation between the two hikes but both have similar views.

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Hiking the M Trail in Missoula

Hiking up these zigzags you will see a wide variety of people hiking up! It will mostly be locals, college students, and the odd group of tourists like Jo and me. Since it’s short and sweet you’ll likely meet a bunch of people who do this trail daily that race up to the top trying to beat their previous time.

We had an awesome experience hiking up the M Trail. From the moment we arrived in Missoula we thought it was such a charming city with its big trees covering many yards downtown and a very “garden” feel to the city. So I guess the name Garden City, as Missoula is nicknamed, is quite accurate haha.

Anyways, we wanted to see the city from another angle to take in its beauty and it was awesome eating lunch next to the big “M” while taking in the beautiful view.

We forgot to count how many zig-zags “switchbacks” there were on the hike so if you end up going anytime soon, feel free to count and let us know!

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Here’s a map of the beginning of the M Trail in Missoula.

Hiking up to Mount Sentinel

Once you get to the trailhead for Mount Sentinel we’d recommend taking the left path instead of the right path. The right one leads to the zigzags and up to the big “M” (the busy trail) whereas the left trail will be significantly less busy and also lead you past the “M”.

If you’re looking for more of a proper full-on hike in Missoula then try and get up to the summit of Mount Sentinel. It’s quite a grueling hike with 578 meters or 1896 feet elevation gain in a short distance. From Mount Sentinel, you will have similar views to what you’d have from the big “M” but on top of that, you’ll be able to see a lot of Missoula’s surroundings.

From the top of Mount Sentinel, you’ll get a birds-eye view of Mount Jumbo and Rattlesnake National Recreation Area which are both alternative hiking spots in Missoula. So if you’re looking for that awesome aerial view of the area try and conquer Mount Sentinel.

Click here to see a map of the beginning of Mt Sentinel summit hike.

If you’re staying in town with friends or at the local hostel you can easily walk to the trailhead. Otherwise, there are a bunch of parking spots available so it’s very easily accessible.

Hiking Tip: Look up the trail on AllTrails before starting your hike 🗺️. You can find important trail information such as recent wildlife sights and trail closures. Check out the free version here or get a 7-day free trial of AllTrails Pro here.

Camping in Missoula Montana

There are a few places to camp in Missoula. If you plan to camp in an RV or in a tent we have a few great and affordable options that we recommend along with an awesome little hostel in town. We highly recommend staying at least two nights in Missoula to be able to do some hiking, rafting, and also checking out the city and its vibe.

Chief Looking Glass campground

Chief Looking Glass isn’t too far from the city and it’s a great place if you’re looking for a cheap campsite where you can set up your tent and have a place to sleep for a few nights.

There’s fishing access since it’s right on the river and a night’s stay is only $18 per campsite, which is nice and budget friendly. It’s a great place to stay to see some of Montana’s nature and wildlife.

Jim and Mary’s RV Park in Missoula

Jim and Mary’s RV Park is the perfect place to stay if you’re looking for somewhere clean, peaceful, and well maintained. It’s family owned which you can easily tell by the way they maintain the RV Park.

The RV park is located just outside of the city so you get that peace and quiet you’re looking for while camping. We’d definitely recommend staying a few nights while you explore Missoula.

Check availability here.

Shady Spruce Hostel

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Located right downtown Missoula is this old-school American-style house that has been converted into a hostel. The hostel offers bikes to roam around the city and when you’re done exploring you can go back and kick it in one of the hammocks in the yard.

The Shady Spruce dorm is very clean and modern with bunk beds in the bedrooms and a cozy living room to relax if you need to sit back and just use some wifi to get your work done! A great place to stay at affordable pricing ($35 a night).

Check prices here.

How to get there

From anywhere in Missoula

  • Depending on where you’re staying, you may be able to walk to the trailhead. Alternatively, you can take your car and drive there.
  • Directions can be found here.

Before you go hiking in Missoula

Boy overlooking the city of Missoula from the M trail

Make sure to check the weather and plan accordingly before you go – ideally, go in the morning or later afternoon to try and get some nice views of the sun rising or setting. Missoula and its surrounding area get a lot of snow in the winter months so we definitely don’t recommend going in winter unless you have the proper gear.

Here is the average monthly weather in Missoula and here is the weather at this exact moment.

We’d say the best time to go would be in late fall when you can see all the beautiful colors of all the different trees in downtown Missoula. Late spring and summer is beautiful too!

Leave no trace

When you go hiking (and do other outdoor adventure activities), always remember to follow the 7 principles of leaving no trace.

This means:

  1. Plan ahead and prepare.
  2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
  3. Dispose of waste properly.
  4. Leave what you find.
  5. Minimize campfire impacts.
  6. Respect wildlife.
  7. Be considerate of others.
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What to bring when hiking in Montana

We’d recommend bringing a camera or something to snap some pictures. If you go hiking up just to the “big M” then you don’t need to do much since you can get up and down quite quickly.

If you plan to hike up the Mount Sentinel, then pack like you’re going to do a full day hike. Since you can easily be hiking for up to 5 hours with all the stops and breaks which will make for a full day.

Packing list for hiking in Missoula:

  • Plenty of water. We use Lifestraw water bottles and they are amazing!
  • Sunscreen is a must hiking, especially during the summer months. Even if you go early in the morning or in the late afternoon we definitely recommend bringing some just in case. We use this one from Sun Bum which we really like and is very eco friendly.
  • It’s always nice to have some food once you summit a mountain. There are some awesome places to sit back, relax, and enjoy the views from Mount Sentinel and even the “big M” so bring some yummy snacks to much on

Also, this is a great list of hiking gear that you may need on a hike!

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Recap of hiking the “M” trail in Missoula

We hope you enjoy Missoula and hopefully, you get some awesome views on this day hike. We personally loved this hike and would love to go back to Missoula and do it again!

If you find any other awesome hiking trails in Missoula let us know so we can add them to our list of trails to hike in Missoula!

Have fun!

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2 Comments

  1. Katerina on June 2, 2020 at 1:13 pm

    What a gorgeous place, Dom and Jo! We also enjoy seeing places from different angles and agree that getting up high and seeing the landscape from above can be absolutely breathtaking. We are yet to explore Montana but it looks like a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing!

    • redwhiteadventures on June 2, 2020 at 2:35 pm

      Hey Katerina,

      Montana is definitely not the first state on everyones list but it still has a bunch of beauty all around it! =) Thanks for popping by! =)

      -Jo

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