Face-of-the-Mountain Trail #7

Face-of-the-Mountain Trail #7 is a 15-mile one-way hike from Meeteetse Trail Road to the junction with Line Creek Basin Trail #9A. It follows the east side of Mount Maurice and crosses the Line Creek Plateau. The Forest Service centerline measures 14.13 miles, while the trail page reports 15, so the stored 15 miles is the rounded point-to-point length. Expect a full day, about 10 hours. The south end is a trail junction with no documented road pickup; arrange a ride or continuation before starting. Walking back roughly doubles the distance. The mapped route rises from about 5,650 to 7,610 feet and finishes roughly 1,400 feet above its start, but that net rise is not total climbing; published ascent figures conflict.

The first 1.5 miles cross private property. Stay on the trail through this section. The dirt access road can be slick and muddy when wet. Highway 212 is typically open from Memorial Day to October 15, weather permitting, and snow can linger at higher elevations into early or mid-July; check the road opening before making the drive.

The first three miles follow an early route of the Beartooth Highway, known as the Black and White Trail. Surveying and work began in 1919, but the project lost funding and was abandoned before construction of the present highway began in 1932. This opening gives the hike a distinct historical thread before it continues into the plateau country.

The route crosses natural ground on the east side of Mount Maurice and the Line Creek Plateau. A route description notes views toward Red Lodge and North Fork Grove Creek Canyon; the Line Creek area includes extensive alpine tundra. The trail is also open to mountain bikes and horses. Segment-by-segment grades, crossings and exact viewpoint locations are not documented, so expect a remote natural-surface route rather than a built path. The Forest Service advises hikers to carry bear spray in this area.