Beckwourth Lake

Difficulty: Moderate
Trip Type: Multi-Day Backpacking / Day Hike
Distance: ~10 miles from trailhead / ~1.8 miles from Silver Lake
Elevation: 9,335 feet
Coordinates: 45.21173, -109.89444
Time: ~45 minutes from Frenco Lake
Access: Mostly defined trail. Departs from Frenco Lake.
Bugs: Minimal (little to no bugs)

Getting there

Drive along West Rosebud Road past Emerald Lake and West Rosebud Lake. The trailhead parking lot is located just before you reach the power plant near the end of the road, providing ample parking space for standard vehicles.

The hike

If you are traveling straight from the vehicle turnaround, the route to Beckworth Lake spans roughly 10 miles one way and involves almost 3,270 vertical feet of elevation gain. For hikers tracking sequentially from your multi-day basecamp, this destination sits about 1.8 miles past Silver Lake. If you are starting directly from your last water stop, it is a short and easy walk of roughly 0.6 miles past Frenco Lake.

The route between the two lakes features a mostly defined trail that makes navigation very straightforward. To stay on the correct path, look for the trail to cross directly over the inlet stream to Frenco Lake, and then follow it as it stays on the south side of the creek drainage all the way up to Beckworth Lake.

Tips & safety

• Navigation: The walk from Frenco is highly accessible compared to the rest of the upper drainage, making it a very fun and easy day hike extension if you choose to leave out the more rugged lakes nearby.

• Camping: Good camping opportunities are available around the basin with scenic shoreline spots to pitch a tent.

• Fishing: FWP and GNIS data listed for Yellowstone Cutthroat.