Star Lake
Difficulty: Hard
Trip Type: Multi-Day Backpacking / Day Hike
Distance: ~11 miles from trailhead / ~2.8 miles from Silver Lake
Elevation: 8,603 feet
Coordinates: 45.16823, -109.86285
Time: ~6 hours from Silver Lake
Access: Brutal cross-country navigation through heavy timber and deadfall. Departs from Silver Lake basecamp.
Bugs: Minimal (little to no bugs)
Getting there
Drive along West Rosebud Road past Emerald Lake and West Rosebud Lake. The trailhead parking lot is located just before you reach the power plant near the end of the road, providing ample parking space for standard vehicles.
The hike
If you are traveling straight from the vehicle turnaround, the route to Star Lake spans roughly 11 miles one way and involves almost 2,500 vertical feet of elevation gain. For backpackers tracking from your multi-day basecamp, this destination sits about 2.8 miles away from Silver Lake.
This hike will completely wear you out and is highly exhausting. From Silver Lake, there is a trail that leads a little ways up to a beautiful overlook of a mountain valley, but right after that vantage point, the path completely vanishes. Do not waste your time searching for the mapped trail—it may exist on paper but it does not exist on the ground, and hunting for it will only exhaust you more than the hike itself.
Once the trail disappears, you will only find occasional animal tracks. You must use your navigation instincts, pick your own line, and head straight down into the creek drainage and follow it through dense overgrowth and heavy timber. If it rains, the thick brush will make sure you stay completely soaked even during short breaks from the weather.
Tips & safety
Alternative Route: Because the climb straight up from Silver Lake is so miserable and grueling, it is highly suggested to come down into the basin from the Goose Lake area above to reach Star Lake instead.
Terrain Warning: Expect an intense workout climbing over large amounts of downed timber and fighting through thick undergrowth. It took us nearly 6 hours of tough trekking to reach this lake from our basecamp.
Camping: There are possible camping spots located on the south side of the lake, though we were far too tired to check them out during our visit.
Fishing: FWP and GNIS data listed for Yellowstone Cutthroat.
