Lady of the Lake Trail #31

Lady of the Lake Trail #31 is a 4-mile out-and-back from Goose Lake Road to an alpine lake, crossing Fisher Creek and threading through forest. Allow about 2.5 hours. It suits you if you want a lake without a major climb, though the gravel access road makes this more of a mountain outing than a casual roadside stop. This is the upper #31 route; Lower Lady of the Lake Trail #563 is a separate, longer approach from another trailhead.

The path starts with a Forest Service bridge over Fisher Creek, then passes a small old cabin being reclaimed by the forest. It stays mostly under trees before reaching the lake. Roughly the final third of a mile lies inside the Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness. The route described here turns around at the shore; the trail continues around the lake and farther up the drainage, so keep going only if you mean to add distance.

Lady of the Lake covers 42.8 acres and has a self-sustaining brook trout fishery. Its shallow, tree-lined edges make shore fishing harder than the destination name might suggest. Campsites and firewood are listed by the lake, but toilets and potable water were not established. Treat the site as a backcountry stop rather than a developed campground.

From Cooke City, drive about 2 miles toward Red Lodge, turn left onto Goose Lake Road, then continue about 2 more miles to the unmarked trailhead on the right. Coulter Campground is roughly a quarter mile past it. The final road is gravel and can be heavily washboarded. You'll return to the same start; the lower trailhead belongs to the separate #563 approach.