Gird Point: Driving the 23 hairpins of the Sapphire Mountains in Montana
Gird Point is a high mountain summit reaching an elevation of 2,295 meters (7,529 ft) above sea level, located in Ravalli County, in the US state of Montana. Tucked away within the Bitterroot National Forest, the road to the top is a rough mountain track leading to a historic lookout tower built in 1939, which sits high above the valley floor.
| Road facts: Gird Point | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ravalli County, Montana (USA) |
| Elevation | 2,295 m (7,529 ft) |
| Length | 24.6 km (15.3 miles) |
| Road Number | 714-Gird Point Road |
| Average Gradient | 4.3% |
| Surface | Unpaved (Gravel and rocks) |
How to get by car to Gird Point in Montana?
The drive to the summit starts at the junction with the Skalkaho Highway. From this point, you leave the pavement and enter Gird Creek Road (714-Gird Point Road), a winding dirt track that climbs for 15.3 miles. Although the average gradient is a moderate 4.3%, the road climbs 3,484 feet of vertical elevation and forces you to drive through 23 sharp hairpin turns. The surface is gravel and rock, with several bumpy and tilted sections that require a 4x4 vehicle with good ground clearance to avoid hitting the undercarriage on loose stones.
What is at the summit of Gird Point?
At the very top of the peak stands a historic lookout tower built in 1939. This wooden structure was built to watch for forest fires across the Sapphire, Bitterroot, and Anaconda Pintler mountain ranges. The tower serves as a silent reminder of how forest fires were spotted in the American West before satellite technology existed.
Is the road to Gird Point open in winter?
No, the 714-Gird Point Road is completely closed during the winter because heavy snow blocks the Sapphire Mountains. At 2,295 meters high, snow drifts often block the upper switchbacks until late spring or early summer. Even in summer, mountain storms can quickly turn the dry dirt and rocks into a slippery mess. There are no services out here, so if you break an axle or pop a tire on the sharp rocks, you are on your own.
Why is Gird Point a demanding drive?
The main difficulty on this route is the constant focus required to drive through 23 tight hairpins on a rough, unpaved surface. The off-camber sections, where the track tilts sideways toward the steep drop-offs, can be nerve-wracking if you are not used to narrow mountain ledges. The tires lose grip easily on the loose gravel, meaning you have to maintain a steady, slow pace on the corners to keep the car from sliding.
Pic: sapphirepeak