Mill Creek Trail & Waterfall

Mill Creek Trail, facing east, April 2026 - © Madeline Cameron

The Mill Creek Trail (#364) is located almost directly due west of the town of Corvallis & Woodside Crossing. It's less than a 10 minute drive from Highway 93. The full trail extends deep into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, nearly to the Idaho border, terminating at Mill Lake.

Mill Creek Trail to Mill Canyon Falls, Wilderness Boundary in dark green - onX Maps

There are also a few lakes off the trail along the way including Hauf Lake (at 5 miles) and Sears Lake (at 7.6 miles). Mill Creek Trail is 22.1 miles out-and-back with nearly 2,700 feet of elevation gain. I have not made the full trek out there, but it is listed as taking about 10 hours to complete and is classified as a hard trail. The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is just over 2 miles into the trail and Mill Canyon Falls is 3.1 miles in.

Mill Canyon Falls drops about 30 feet and creates a great swimming hole at the bottom on a hot summer day. Near the falls, there is a backcountry camping site. However, it is close to the trail and offers little to no privacy.

Mill Creek Falls, April 2026 - © Madeline Cameron

The elevation gain to the falls and back is about 850 feet, so if you're just doing the 6.2 miles of the trail to the falls and back, I'd classify it as an easy trail. The lower section of the trail burned in the Blodgett Trailhead Fire in 2000, so the trail passes through fairly dense forest scrub (young forest). Due to this, there are very few downed trees you have to navigate.

Along the way, there are a few landmarks to mark your progress. At 0.7 miles there is a footbridge crossing the creek, moving the trail from the south side of the creek to the north side.

Mill Creek footbridge, April 2026 - © Madeline Cameron

After meandering through vegetation and trees for a bit, just over a mile in the trail will open up considerably and you'll have a few nice views of the creek and also a dramatic rock face to the north. The cliff has a 1,500-foot drop and a width of over a mile along the creek from east to west. The southern ridgeline is called Printz Ridge.

There are multiple climbing routes in this section (much too thrill-seeking for me!), but keep in mind that there are seasonal closures for climbing due to nesting birds. It will be marked at the trailhead if climbing is prohibited.

Cliff wall along the Mill Creek Trail, April 2026 - © Madeline Cameron

The next obvious landmark to look for is the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness boundary sign at 2.1 miles. It is a typical National Forest sign - wood cut in a rounded trapezoid shape with recessed carved letters. This shape dates back to the 1960s post-war era.

Wilderness boundary sign at 2.1 miles, April 2026 - © Madeline Cameron

As with all trails along creek drainages in the Bitterroot Valley, the Mill Creek Trail has an abundance of wildflowers in the spring. Early blooms include glacier lilies and trillium, followed by heartleaf arnica, lupines, paintbrush, and more. I've even seen some violets along the trail.

Glacier lily meadow along the trail, April 2026 - © Madeline Cameron

As always, stay on the trail to enjoy wildflowers, otherwise you risk damaging the delicate plants and not only ruining the chance for someone else to enjoy them, but you could also prevent the plant from returning the following year. A number of Montana wildflowers are extremely sensitive to disturbance.

Since the Mill Creek Trail is such a long out-and-back trail, it's great for all levels of hikers of varying ages and endurance. Trail runners have a lot of mileage to work with and landmarks like the footbridge, wilderness boundary, and waterfall are great spots to turn around for shorter hikes or hikes with young ones.

Looking east from the top of Mill Creek Falls, April 2026 -  © Madeline Cameron

If you do make it all the way to Mill Lake at 11 miles in, there is a wilderness trail to the north connecting to Fred Burr Trail. At this point, you're looking at a backpacking trip, not a day hike as, the connected trails are nearly 25 miles in length.

It's well worth the mileage though, if you already have the endurance or want something to work towards. There are many historic photos of the trail connecting Mill Creek and Fred Burr, which parallels the Idaho-Montana border.

Mill Creek and Fred Burr Canyon, 1961 - Montana History Portal

Regardless of how far down the trail you go, the Mill Creek Trail is worth a visit. See you out there.

Trail Information Sources:

• Hiking Waterfalls Montana: A Guide to the State's Best Waterfall Hikes, John Kratz, Falcon Guides, 2022 (print)

• Hiking the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Scott Steinberg, Falcon Guides, 2012 (print)