Martha's Basin Trail

Martha's Basin Trail is a branching out-and-back from Coal Creek Trail to Buffalo Woman and Beaver Woman lakes. Walking both branches and returning to the junction is about 4.4 miles round trip, with roughly 700 feet of climbing; allow around 3 hours for the basin spur. That excludes the much longer wilderness approach to Coal Creek Trail. A published 2.1-mile figure has no stated convention. Its approximate segment distances add to about 2.2 miles of trail tread, while the mapped round-trip route measures about 3.7 miles. Treat the outing mileage as approximate; 4.4 miles describes walking both lake branches and returning to the junction.

From Coal Creek Trail, a gradual climb follows the headwaters of Coal Creek for about a mile to the fork. A stream crossing is part of this stretch and can carry high water in some seasons. The basin sits in a cirque between Mount Pinchot and Peril Peak.

The left branch climbs about half a mile to Buffalo Woman Lake below Peril Peak. The right branch drops about seven-tenths of a mile through an old burn to Beaver Woman Lake and its established backcountry campground below Mount Pinchot. To see both, retrace the first branch to the fork, take the other branch, then return along the shared trail. The rough segment figures work out to about 3 miles round trip for Buffalo Woman alone or 3.4 for Beaver Woman alone; those estimates also leave out the approach.

The basin junction has no road access. One documented Nyack-side approach reaches it after about 14.9 hiking miles from a Middle Fork Flathead ford and crosses Coal Creek six times. Fielding–Coal Creek is another long backcountry approach; its full distance from the road to the basin junction is not verified. The 4.4-mile figure covers only the two lake branches and return, not either approach.

The remote approaches involve repeated river and creek fords, and the stream in the basin can be high. Water may be cold and swift, especially early in the season, so check current park conditions before choosing a route. Pets are prohibited on Glacier trails. A wilderness use permit is required for overnight camping, including a stay at Beaver Woman Lake Campground.