Princess Lake

Princess Lake

It’s a rare experience to hike on one of the busiest trails in the Beartooth Mountains, and hike in solitude for the last two miles of the trail. Princess Lake is a beautiful mountain lake located in the West Rosebud section of the Beartooth Mountains, and it’s just two miles from Mystic Lake– arguably one of the most popular day hike destinations in the Beartooth Mountains. The last two miles of the trail to Princess Lake are anything but busy, however. In the early or late season, you could easily have the lake to yourself. The trail to Princess Lake is what keeps most hikers away- the steep grade and faint track are not for inexperienced hikers.

This trail has a little something for everyone- rock fields, uphill switchbacks, flat runs, mature lodgepole pine forests, and good fishing. It also offers the opportunity to be lost in the woods, one of my favorite parts of this trail. The trail is well defined for the first six miles, but after that I’d recommend bringing along a GPS- just in case.

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Curl Lake

Curl Lake

Curl Lake, located in the Beartooth Mountains, is an interesting lake. Curl Lake blurs the definition between lake and river (it’s neighbor Broadwater Lake is technically the same lake), and the trail is an adventure in itself. The trail passes by two major bodies of water (Kersey Lake and Broadwater Meadow Lakes), making it a messy swamp early in the year. A couple of months later (mid summer), the mosquitoes are out in full force- making Curl Lake a good late summer hike. Curl Lake does make up for this by providing fishing, and an absolutely gorgeous view.

When preparing for this hike, a map/compass or GPS should be considered required gear. The trail is hard to find in places, and while route finding is very easy on this trail, the hiking is easier if you stay on the trail. Losing the trail early on can mean navigating around wet marshes, tall hills, and steep cliffs. It’s much easier to carry a compass/GPS, and avoid losing the trail entirely.

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Fox Lake

Fox Lake- Beartooth Mountains

Fox Lake, located in the Beartooth Mountains, is suitable for a day hike, an overnight stay, or a base camp. Located just 4 miles from the trailhead, Fox Lake is a quick hike for conditioned hikers. In the mid season (July), the busy trail is easy to follow, and well marked. This may not be true in the early season (early June), where traffic is almost nonexistent, the trail is harder to follow, and snow drifts still block the trail in many places.

Regardless of when you hike to Fox Lake, you’ll want to bring proper protection against bears. Grizzly bears are common in the area, as are moose. You’ll want to be prepared for this with either bear spray, or a suitable alternative. This area (Cooke City) is notorious for bear attacks, and this trail will lead you 4 miles into bear country. When you drive to the trailhead, you’ll be reminded of this fact. Campgrounds in the area do not allow tent camping because of bear attacks, and many signs along the highway will remind you to properly store your food when camping.

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Huckleberry Lake

Huckleberry Lake

If the trail at Mystic Lake isn’t remote enough for you, you only have to hike an extra mile to Huckleberry Lake for a better chance at solitude. Even though Huckleberry Lake is only 7 miles from the West Rosebud trailhead, it is not visited nearly as much as Mystic Lake and nearby Island Lake. You might ask, “Why is this?”. The simple answer is that Huckleberry Lake is not particularly easy to find, it isn’t on an official trail, and it’s not really popular. That being said, it is an absolute must-see in the Beartooth Mountains- the narrow canyon walls combined with the nearby mature forest leaves an impression that you soon won’t forget. The fishing usually won’t disappoint, either.

Another attraction to Huckleberry Lake is that it is on the way to other destinations up the valley including Princess Lake, Avalanche Lake, and Granite Peak (a popular climbing destination, and Montana’s highest mountain). Oh- did I mention that the fishing was good? Well, enough about why you should visit Huckleberry Lake- let’s tackle the hike itself.
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Crow Lake

Crow Lake

There are few places that truly take your breath away; few places that absolutely leave you unable to describe their awesome beauty. Crow Lake, located at the mouth of a glacier carved cirque, is certainly one of those places. If the blue-green waters, dense lodgepole forests, and jagged granite spires of the East Rosebud Plateau don’t take your breath away, the hike there certainly will. The 6 miles of trail to Crow Lake climb more than 2,700 feet, most of which is in the first few miles.

Although this trail presents a few difficulties, finding the trailhead is not one of them. Start off by entering the East Rosebud campground, and drive all the way to the northwestern corner (far back) of the campground, parking in the well marked trailhead parking lot. You can easily tell that this trail is going to be steep at this point- even the trailhead itself is on a hill! (more…)

Sylvan Lake

Sylvan Lake

Shimmering beneath Sylvan Lake lies the prize most anglers and hikers seek- the California Golden Trout. First stocked in 1938, the golden trout at Sylvan Lake are well known in Montana for their genetic purity. Sylvan Lake’s golden population is so pure that the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks regularly uses the eggs laid by goldens at Sylvan Lake for stocking other lakes in Montana. If you seek the purest golden trout in the Beartooths, you should look no further than Sylvan Lake.

Although this trail presents a few difficulties, finding the trailhead is not one of them. Start off by entering the East Rosebud campground, and drive all the way to the northwestern corner (far back) of the campground, parking in the well marked trailhead parking lot. You can easily tell that this trail is going to be steep at this point- even the trailhead itself is on a hill! (more…)