Abandoned Lake

Drainage: Clarks Fork (MT)
Approaches: Clay Butte Trailhead, approximately 11.5 mi round trip; roughly 2,500 ft of climbing along the way. On trail, then a short walk off it · From Island Lake Campground, approximately 10.5 mi with 2 of it off-trail · From Beartooth Lake Campground, approximately 8 mi with 2 of it off-trail
Elevation: 10,045 feet
Fish: Brook trout (FWP)
Coordinates: 45.00942, -109.60332
Bugs: Minimal on our visit

Getting there

The Clay Butte Trailhead sits off US 212 west of the Beartooth Lake turnoff, up the gravel Clay Butte Road toward the lookout tower. The signed trailhead is on the left just before a hairpin switchback, at approximately 9,555 feet.

The trail drops roughly 345 feet over the first mile and a half, climbs north past Native Lake at about three miles and through the small lakes beyond, then pushes up onto the higher shelf. Abandoned comes at approximately five and three quarter miles, three tenths of a mile past Lonesome.

There are two other ways in. Trail 620 to 619 from Island Lake Campground runs approximately ten and a half miles with two of them off-trail, and Trail 619 from Beartooth Lake Campground is roughly eight miles with the same two off-trail.

The hike

Approximately five and three quarter miles from Clay Butte with roughly 2,500 feet of climbing along the way. Once you are up on the shelf past Lonesome the walking flattens out, and Abandoned is only a few minutes further along.

Around nine and a half acres at 10,045 feet, well above the trees. It is shallow, running about eight feet on average and twenty-five at the deepest, which is a different lake entirely from Lonesome three tenths of a mile south at thirty-eight feet deep.

Tips & safety

• Navigation: on trail, then a short walk off the line. Open country at this height with long sightlines.

• Camping: FWP calls these nice campsites but notes there is no firewood, and the lake is above treeline. That matches what we saw. If you are cooking, bring a stove.

• Fishing: brook trout (FWP), abundant and self-sustaining, with no stocking record on file. The 2018 survey caught thirty-four fish averaging eight inches, the largest just over ten. At eight feet average depth this is small-fish water and the numbers show it.

• Bugs: minimal on our visit.