Triple Divide Pass Trail

Triple Divide Pass Trail is a 14.4-mile out-and-back from Cut Bank Trailhead to the saddle beneath Triple Divide Peak. The trail climbs about 2,380 feet on the way up; the stored map follows the 7.07-mile corridor once, while the distance includes the return on the same trail. Plan a full day, around 8 hours, and start with enough time for a long, steady climb and breaks. The pass is the destination for this route. The separate, off-trail scramble toward Triple Divide Peak is not included.

From the road-end trailhead, the trail reaches North Fork Cut Bank Creek within the first quarter mile and follows the valley for several miles. Expect alternating conifer forest, willow flats, and open meadows, with relatively gentle walking and a few short climbs. At roughly four miles, take the Triple Divide Pass route at its junction; Atlantic Creek Campground is shortly beyond. At the Medicine Grizzly junction, stay on the pass route rather than taking the spur down to the lake. The lake comes into view higher up, so the spur is not needed for the main payoff.

The upper approach steepens on the slopes of Mount James. Over about 2.6 miles, the route gains roughly 1,860 feet toward the pass. Trees thin and the view opens over Medicine Grizzly Lake, its surrounding cliffs, and waterfalls dropping from the headwall. The tread is narrow in places on steep slopes, with exposed drop-offs; wind can be strong. Take care where the trail traverses the slope and turn around if snow, ice, or weather makes the exposed sections unsafe.

Triple Divide Pass is the high saddle between Triple Divide Peak and Mount James. From the pass, look back across the Cut Bank drainage and beyond toward Hudson Bay Creek on the other side. The route ends at the saddle; reaching the peak itself means leaving the trail for a separate scramble. A popular explanation for the peak's name is that water from different sides drains toward the Atlantic, Pacific, or Arctic. The exact three-ocean description is debated because the watershed that drains through Hudson Bay is classified differently by some hydrologists.

Willow flats along North Fork Cut Bank Creek are moose habitat, and the valley is also described as wolf country. Huckleberries, thimbleberries, and summer wildflowers are reported in the meadows; marmots and ground squirrels may be around the pass. These are possibilities, not sightings to count on. Keep food and salty gear secured and give wildlife room.