Curl Lake

Drainage: Clarks Fork (MT)
Approaches: Clarks Fork Trailhead — 4.25 mi, all on trail; 600 ft up / 100 ft down · From Broadwater Lake — 0.2 mi
Elevation: 8,544 feet
Fish: Brook trout (FWP)
Coordinates: 45.05452, -109.84023
Bugs: Minimal on our visit

Getting there

Most people will reach Curl from the Clarks Fork Trailhead — 4.25 miles, all on trail, with 600 feet of climbing and 100 feet of descent.

We came the long way. Curl was the last lake on a four-day thru-hike that started at the Lady of the Lake Trailhead, roughly 16.8 miles out. 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

From Broadwater Lake, Curl lies 0.2 miles southeast and drains into it. The trail is clear and maintained the whole way, and there's almost no elevation change between the two — flat walking through timber, even with four days of pack on. Figure about an hour from where you first reach Broadwater, most of which is walking Broadwater's shoreline.

Tips & safety

• Fishing: FWP lists brook trout.

• Basecamp: Flat, maintained access makes Curl a workable base for pushing deeper into the drainage.

• Thru-hike logistics: This is point-to-point, not a loop. Curl is the last water before the exit, and your ride has to already be parked there.