Mystic Lake (West Rosebud)

Drainage: West Rosebud
Approaches: Mystic Lake Trailhead — 3 mi to the overlook, all on trail; about 1,300 ft up · Continues to Island Lake — 5.4 mi · and Silver Lake — 8.2 mi

Elevation: 7,669 feet
Fish: Rainbow trout (FWP)
Coordinates: 45.22310, -109.78311
Bugs: Minimal on our visit

Getting there

Drive to the very end of West Rosebud Road, past Emerald Lake and West Rosebud Lake. The road finishes at a large developed lot at the powerhouse trailhead with plenty of room.

The hike

Three miles up the canyon on well beaten, heavily maintained trail, climbing about 1,300 feet to the overlook. Six miles round trip if the overlook is your destination.

Worth knowing before you start: that 1,300 feet is essentially the whole climb in this drainage. The trail works steadily up the canyon and then tops out, and from the overlook you drop slightly to the shoreline. Everything beyond is comparatively flat.

The lake itself runs about three miles long and 436 acres, which is the largest water in the drainage by a long way. FWP lists rainbow trout.

This is the most popular day hike in the Beartooths and the trail shows it. Footing is stable and cleared, the grade is honest, and it is a reasonable benchmark for someone building up mileage.

If you carry on rather than turning around, the trail runs the full length of Mystic to Island Lake at 5.4 miles and Silver at 8.2. Almost all of that added distance is level shoreline walking, which is why a trip to Silver is a long day rather than a hard one.

Tips & safety

• Expect company. Hikers, trail runners and backpackers, and summer weekends are busy. Early starts help.

• The climb is front loaded. If you can get to the overlook, you can get most places in this drainage, because the elevation is nearly all in that first three miles.

• Fishing: FWP lists rainbow trout.

• Camping: Mystic sits at 7,669 feet with three miles of shoreline and timber along much of it, so there is genuine wind shelter. It is close enough to the trailhead to be busy, and quieter ground starts at Island, two miles further up.