Sedge Lake

Drainage: Clarks Fork (MT)
Approaches: Clarks Fork Trailhead — 6.5 mi (4 on trail, 2.5 off-trail); 1,200 ft up / 100 ft down · From Aquarius Lake — ~488 yd cross-country
Elevation: 9,099 feet
Fish: Yellowstone cutthroat (FWP)
Coordinates: 45.05394, -109.81664
Bugs: Minimal on our visit

Getting there

From the Clarks Fork Trailhead it's about 6.5 miles, with the last 2.5 off trail and 1,200 feet of climbing.

We came the long way. Sedge opened the fourth day of a thru-hike that started at the Lady of the Lake Trailhead, roughly 13.9 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

We broke camp at Aquarius on the fourth morning and started the push out. Sedge is about 488 yards from where we were camped — ten minutes of easy walking across an open timbered shelf, dropping about ninety feet between the two basins. Flat, straightforward country even with everything packed up.

Tips & safety

• Fishing: FWP lists Yellowstone cutthroat.

• Route: No trail between Aquarius and Sedge. The walking is easy, but you're navigating on your own.

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