Parking
Start at the Island Lake campground access off US 212 and leave a second vehicle at Beartooth Lake, or arrange another shuttle. Trailhead lot capacity and a day-use fee were not confirmed.
Overview
About Island Lake to Beartooth Lake Trail
Why go
- A chain of alpine lakes and broad mountain views in a moderate-length traverse.
- Wildflowers line the open high-country stretch in midsummer.
Heads up
- Requires a shuttle between Island Lake and Beartooth Lake.
- A steep descent follows the exposed alpine traverse.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Beartooth Highway map
Full mapElevation8,907–9,672 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Beartooth Highway alert
- ClosureBeartooth Highway seasonal closure and falling-rock advisoryBeartooth Highway (US-212) is closed for the season between Cooke City and Red Lodge; do not plan to travel the highway as a through route.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Beartooth Highway Tour Guide
Your drive to Island Lake to Beartooth Lake Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Beartooth Highway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Beartooth Highway audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Island Lake0:00 / 0:29
“Island Lake's access road is ahead, leading to a shore you can enjoy without committing to a hike. The lake holds brook trout, and there's a boat ramp as well as fishing from shore.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Beartooth Highway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Top of the World Store
- The Songbird That Dives
- Hauser Lake Trailhead
- Beartooth Lake
- 62 audio storiesacross Beartooth Highway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Gray Wolf, Bison, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 82 trails, 36 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Island Lake to Beartooth Lake Trail
A 5.5-mile lake-to-lake hikeIsland Lake to Beartooth Lake is a one-way traverse linking Beartooth High Lakes Trail 620 with…
Island Lake to Beartooth Lake is a one-way traverse linking Beartooth High Lakes Trail #620 with Beauty Lake Trail #621. Allow about three to four hours of hiking, then add time for the shuttle. This entry uses the shorter southbound turn onto #621; a longer route with the same endpoints continues farther along the High Lakes corridor and is described at about 8.5 miles.
Open country among the high lakesThe first stretch crosses alpine terrain above timberline, with broad Beartooth Mountain views…
The first stretch crosses alpine terrain above timberline, with broad Beartooth Mountain views and a chain of glacial lakes. The shorter route is described as passing about ten lakes, though lake lists vary among route accounts. Wildflowers are reported from July into late August. Island Lake, at the start, sits at 9,518 feet and covers about 146 acres; the lake itself is known for brook trout.
The turn and descentAfter several miles on 620, turn south onto 621 and descend steeply toward Beartooth Lake.
After several miles on #620, turn south onto #621 and descend steeply toward Beartooth Lake. The overall uphill is modest, but the route reaches about 9,675 feet and drops roughly 867 feet, so the downhill and altitude matter more than the small climbing figure suggests. Keep the route variant straight: the longer northern continuation is a different hike, not an extension to add casually.
Make the shuttle workStart from the Island Lake campground access off US 212 and arrange a second car at Beartooth…
Start from the Island Lake campground access off US 212 and arrange a second car at Beartooth Lake; this is not a loop. The campground near the start has vault toilets and potable water, but food service along the trail was not found. Beartooth Pass access is seasonal, so check the road status before planning. Island Lake is the strongest photo stop: when the water is calm, frame the mountain and its reflection from shore.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Beartooth Highway
42 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
22 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
49 sightingsBisonMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
122 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
260 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
16 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Beartooth Highway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
