511now / Answers / Is Lolo Pass open?
Is Lolo Pass open right now?
Updated August 19, 2026 · Pictures refresh every few minutes
Only Idaho 511 can say for the Idaho side. Open the official Idaho 511 map for today's current status on US-12 at Lolo Pass: open, closed, or chains required. East of the summit, Montana 511 is the definitive source.
Then look at the summit stills below to see the road for yourself.
The Lolo Pass cameras
Official Idaho 511 stills. Check the time printed on the picture — if there is no time, do not trust it.
The summit is the easy part
West of the pass, US-12 follows the Lochsa River for roughly a hundred winding miles to Kooskia — few services, little cell coverage, and weather that changes canyon by canyon. A summit camera cannot show that whole stretch. Read the posted status for the full route, and fuel up before you enter it.
What about the Montana side?
Montana is the definitive source east of the summit — the descent to Lolo and Missoula. Check Montana 511 before continuing. We do not re-host Montana cameras.
Why the pass can be closed when the picture looks fine
A clear picture does not cancel a chain requirement. Idaho and Montana close or restrict US-12 for crashes, slides, and snow removal. Night glare can look like ice, and an old picture can lie. The posted status always wins.
Check again before you leave
Check Idaho 511 and Montana 511 right before you leave — there is nowhere to turn around in the canyon.
Sources
- Idaho 511 — the posted status in Idaho.
- Montana 511 — the definitive source east of the summit.