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Bull Lake: Highway 56, Cabinet Mountains, Montana
Photo: Dawn StClair · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped

Drives Montana Glacier, the Flathead and Northwest Montana

Bull Lake: Highway 56

MT 56, Bull Lake Road, Bull River Road · Troy → Bull River Junction

Leisurely34 mi40 min1,400 ft climbHigh point ≈ 2,500 ftOne way
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The drive

Montana Highway 56 is a quiet forest road, known locally as Bull Lake Road or Bull River Highway. The drive runs south from US 2 at Troy, along the eastern shore of Bull Lake, with the Cabinet Mountains to the east, and down the Bull River valley to Highway 200 at Bull River Junction.

The whole route is inside Kootenai National Forest. The valley is unusual: the Bull River drains south to the Clark Fork, while Bull Lake drains north through Lake Creek to the Kootenai River. The drive is 34.5 miles and takes about 40 minutes, with few services along the way.

Along the way

  1. Troy (US-2)
  2. Bull Lake
  3. Bull River Junction (Highway 200)
Elevation
1,400 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 2,500 ft
TroyBull River Junction
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
TroyBull River Junction
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Services are few along this road.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Montana 511 Travel Information.

Questions about this drive

How long does Montana Highway 56 take to drive?

Troy to Bull River Junction on Highway 56 is 34.5 miles and takes about 40 minutes.

Where does Highway 56 go?

Montana Highway 56 runs from US 2 east of Troy along Bull Lake and the Bull River to Highway 200 near Noxon, inside Kootenai National Forest.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Bull Lake: Highway 56, from Troy to Bull River Junction