Parking
From U.S. 212, turn west onto Lake Fork Road (Forest Road 2346). Start at the old Richel Lodge meadow. A small lot 0.8 miles up the road is a middle access; the dead-end Lake Fork Trail #2 lot, 1.9 miles in, is the western finish.
Overview
About Lower Lake Fork Trail #2A
Why go
- Cascading creek follows most of the route
- The old lodge meadow adds a little local history
Heads up
- Point-to-point; a walk back makes it about four miles
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Beartooth Highway map
Full mapElevation6,788–7,238 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 Lower Lake Fork Trail #2A, 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 area
A Mountain Goat's Grip0:00 / 0:30
“A mountain goat's grip starts with a hoof split into two toes. Those toes can spread apart, and soft inner pads help it hold onto uneven rock.”
Plays on the road 0.2 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Beartooth Highway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Cutthroat's Red Slash
- Bear Track Trailhead
- Lake Fork Road: Broadwater Lake
- The Cone Pile Under the Trees
- 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 Lower Lake Fork Trail #2A
A creekside connectorLower Lake Fork Trail 2A is a two-mile, one-way connector from the old Richel Lodge meadow to…
Lower Lake Fork Trail #2A is a two-mile, one-way connector from the old Richel Lodge meadow to parking for Lake Fork Trail #2. It follows the cascading Lake Fork of Rock Creek and makes a short creekside walk or a link into the longer high-country trails. Allow about 1 to 1½ hours one way; walking back makes it roughly four miles. The published figure is 400 feet of elevation change, but the exact climbing is unclear.
Choose your accessFrom U.S. 212, turn west onto Lake Fork Road (Forest Road 2346).
From U.S. 212, turn west onto Lake Fork Road (Forest Road 2346). The eastern access is the old lodge meadow. A small parking area 0.8 miles up the road gives a middle access, and the road ends 1.9 miles in at the Lake Fork Trail #2 parking area, the western end of #2A. Arrange a second car for a one-way walk, or retrace the route. The road closes each year from December 2 to April 14 and is not plowed beyond the lodge site; winter access is different, with the corridor also used for skiing and snowshoeing.
Meadow, creek and campThe lodge burned in 1966, leaving a broad meadow at the east end.
The lodge burned in 1966, leaving a broad meadow at the east end. From there the path runs west beside Lake Fork of Rock Creek and passes through Lions Camp. Keep to the trail and leave the camp buildings undisturbed. Most of the route is described as easy, though there is a short steeper stretch and some rocky tread. Pets are allowed under Forest Service rules; keep them under control. Food or water services are not identified along this connector, so bring what you need.
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.
