No Bones Lake

Difficulty: Hard
Trip Type: Multi-Day Backpacking / High-Alpine Route
Distance: ~7.1 miles from starting trailhead / ~1.9 miles from Splinter Lake Basecamp
Elevation: 9,974 feet
Coordinates: 45.09795, -109.82102
Time: ~2 hours from Splinter Lake Basecamp
Access: Unmaintained off-trail high country navigation. Departs via cross-country from Stepping Stone Lake.
Bugs: Minimal (little to no bugs)

Getting there

The multi-day backpacking route departs from the Lady of the Lake Trailhead. Please note that this is a thru-hike itinerary; our group dropped one vehicle off at the Beaten Path Trailhead first, then jumped in the truck and drove over to the Lady of the Lake Trailhead to begin hiking. This ensures a vehicle is waiting for pickup at the other side when you finish the trip.

The hike

If you are traveling straight from the vehicle turnaround, the route to No Bones Lake spans roughly 7.1 miles from the starting trailhead and involves almost 2,500 vertical feet of elevation gain. For backpackers tracking from your multi-day basecamp, this destination sits about 1.9 miles past camp at Splinter Lake. If tracking sequentially from your last water stop, No Bones Lake is located roughly 0.4 miles past Stepping Stone Lake.

The cross-country route drops slightly down from the previous lake's high shelf, sitting at 1,000 vertical feet of total elevation gain measured from your basecamp. Navigating the unmaintained landscape requires mapping your way through rolling granite benches and high alpine gaps to hit the shoreline.

Tips & safety

• High Country Navigation: There are no maintained paths leading through this upper basin section. Continuous cross-country route-finding is required to travel safely between the lakes on this rugged bench.

• Thru-Hike Logistics: Because this extended itinerary finishes at a completely different exit point, ensure your logistics are arranged with a shuttle vehicle waiting at the final trailhead before you set out.

• Fishing: No official Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks data is listed for this alpine basin.