Boulder Lakes

Drainage: Clarks Fork (MT)
Approaches: No documented trailhead route. Nearest is Aquarius Lake — Clarks Fork Trail #3, 6 mi — then about 0.9 mi cross-country northwest
Elevation: 9,144 feet
Fish: No FWP data
Coordinates: 45.06668, -109.82296
Bugs: Minimal on our visit

Getting there

There's no maintained route to Boulder Lakes. The closest documented access is the Clarks Fork Trail #3 approach to Aquarius Lake — 6 miles, 2.75 of them off trail — then roughly a mile cross-country northwest.

We came the long way. Boulder Lakes came on the Day 3 move of a thru-hike that started at the Lady of the Lake Trailhead, roughly 8.6 miles out and about 5.6 miles from our basecamp at Splinter Lake. A thru-hike takes two vehicles: we left one at the Clarks Fork end of the Beaten Path, drove to the Lady of the Lake Trailhead in the other, and started walking. Set the shuttle rig before you leave, not after.

The hike

Coming off Sodalite, the route drops hard — about 650 feet off the upper alpine shelf, and 3.4 miles of walking to cover a mile of ground as you work a line down. Loose granite, talus, and thickening timber the whole way. There's no tread; you pick your own descent. From Boulder Lakes on, the trip is headed downhill.

Tips & safety

• Navigation: No trail. You're choosing your line down steep, loose ground with a full pack — watch your footing on the talus.

• Fishing: FWP has no data for these lakes — nothing listed either way.

• Thru-hike logistics: This is point-to-point, not a loop. Your ride has to already be parked at the exit trailhead.