Glacier Lake Trail

Glacier Lake Trail #3 is a 4.4-mile out-and-back from the Main Fork Rock Creek road end to Glacier Lake, 2.2 miles each way. It’s a top Beartooth day hike if you want a real alpine lake without an overnight, but the mileage understates the effort. The route climbs steadily; the lake sits around 9,700 feet, and the trail rises above 10,000 feet before you reach it. Allow about three to three and a half hours. Elevation-gain totals vary between route descriptions, so plan for a substantial uphill effort rather than counting on the smallest estimate. The high start and steep grade make this a poor pick for anyone who wants an easy lakeside stroll.

Trail #3 follows a ground path that’s easy to follow. About half a mile in, it crosses Moon Creek on a sturdy wooden bridge; this is a worthwhile photo stop and a handy breather before the harder part. A spur toward Moon and Shelf Lakes branches nearby, but it’s a separate option and isn’t part of the Glacier Lake route stored here. Past the bridge, the switchbacks get steeper and the climb keeps going. The tread is well built, and the main challenge is sustained uphill in thin air rather than route-finding. Views improve as you gain height, so turn around now and then to take in the basin behind you.

Glacier Lake is the payoff at about 9,700 feet, set in an exposed alpine basin that can be windy. The lake crosses the Montana–Wyoming line; if you fish, the license you need depends on which state’s water you’re in, and you may need both if you move around. Give yourself time to sit by the water, but bring a layer that can handle gusts and a fast weather change. For a photo, frame the jagged ridge above the water and leave a strip of rocky shore in the foreground; it gives the mountain scale without losing the lake.

A short social path follows only part of Glacier Lake’s west shore and fades out about halfway around, so don’t expect a loop. Near the dam, a continuation can lead toward Little Glacier and Emerald Lakes; those are extensions beyond the 4.4 miles described here. Mountain Sheep and Mountain Goat Lakes are a separate objective that requires off-trail travel. This record sticks to the straightforward out-and-back from the road end to Glacier Lake and returns on the same corridor.

From US 212, turn onto Main Fork Rock Creek Road (FR 2421), pass Parkside, Greenough Lake and Limberpine campgrounds, then take the left fork just beyond Limberpine and drive 7.7 miles to the road-end trailhead. There’s ample parking and a vault toilet, but the final road is rocky and pothole-prone; high clearance is advised. The Forest Service has warned that marmots damaged parked vehicles’ wiring and brake lines here in past years. It isn’t guaranteed, but it’s worth knowing before you leave the car. The surrounding Beartooth road corridor is seasonal and weather-dependent, and snow can linger at high elevations into early or mid-July. The hike enters the Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness and bear country, so know the wilderness rules and carry bear spray you know how to use. A vault toilet is provided; food and potable water aren’t listed at the trailhead.