Island and Night Lakes

Get ready for a challenging hike if you are not used to high elevations! This backpacking trip starts at the Island Lake trailhead a few miles west of the Beartooth Pass on Highway 212. Island lake sits at 9518 ft. elevation and your trek only goes up from there! The trail stays very flat and manageable as you pass Night Lake and continue North at about mile 2.5 the trail splits to the west DO ...

Thinking we could drive straight to the trailhead in the winter was our first incorrect assumption. When we arrived, we discovered that Lake Fork Road is closed after a certain point, adding another mile or so to our hike. The snow was falling very heavily and we decided to start out and call it whenever the weather got too bad to try to test -- make sure you check local weather reports before ...

Coming out of Cooke City, MT follow the Beartooth Highway (named the most scenic byway in the U.S.) toward Beartooth Pass. Go about 8 miles.Once you drop back down into Wyoming and pass the Fox Creek campground on your left, start looking for the small break in the trees on your left. There is a clearing and turn in on your right as well. You may pass it the first time, I always do!Once you ...

Rock Island Lake Trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a lake located near Cooke City, Montana.

Also known as "The Beaten Path", the East Rosebud Trail is a highly traveled and well maintained trail with amazing views and a handful of lakes along the route. The trail is ultimately 26 miles long and places you near Cooke City. Rainbow Lake is located 7 miles from the trailhead and is a perfect weekend hike with amazing scenery through the Absoraka-Beartooth Wilderness.The trailhead (6,100'...

There are a few ways to approach Granite Peak. The most popular route is the Mystic Lake trail in West Rosebud. It lies primarily on opinion as to which route is the best, easiest, or most scenic. I chose to start at the Phantom Creek trailhead in the East Rosebud Valley. You will follow this trail up "the switchbacks from hell" for around seven miles, gaining approximately 3,500 feet in elevat...