Marker Lake

Difficulty: Hard
Trip Type: Day Hike / Multi-Day Backpacking
Distance: ~9.4 miles from trailhead / ~1.2 miles from Shadow Lake
Elevation: 10,936 feet
Coordinates: 45.11396, -109.60361
Time: ~2 hours from Shadow Lake
Access: Extremely steep and rugged off-trail scramble. Departs from Shadow Lake basecamp.
Bugs: Minimal (little to no bugs)

Getting there

The journey begins at the West Fork Rock Creek Trailhead. Drive past the campgrounds along the gravel access road to reach the primary parking and staging area.

The hike

If you are traveling straight from the vehicle turnaround, the route to Marker Lake spans roughly 9.4 miles one way and involves almost 3,300 vertical feet of total elevation gain. For hikers launching from a multi-day basecamp at Shadow Lake, this destination sits about 1.2 miles further into the high basin.

The climb up from Shadow Lake is steep but relatively short. To reach it, you will head upward through the high country toward the upper benches. The cross-country route scales a massive amount of vertical elevation over a compressed mountain grade, bringing you directly to the shore of Marker Lake, which sits at an elevation of 10,936 feet.

Tips & safety

• High-Altitude Statistics: Marker Lake holds the unique title of being the highest fishable lake in the entire state of Montana.

• Shelters & Terrain: The alpine basin can get intensely windy due to its extreme exposure. We built a sweet rock shelter right next to the giant boulder located near the lake outlet; look for it during your visit to see if it is still standing.

• Fishing: FWP and GNIS data listed for Yellowstone Cutthroat. Fishing here was excellent during our summer visit, with lots of hard-fighting trout stretching up to 20 inches in size.