Stepping Stone Lake
Difficulty: Hard
Trip Type: Multi-Day Backpacking / High-Alpine Route
Distance: ~6.7 miles from starting trailhead / ~1.5 miles from Splinter Lake Basecamp
Elevation: 10,305 feet
Coordinates: 45.10550, -109.82570
Time: ~1.5 hours from Splinter Lake Basecamp
Access: Unmaintained off-trail alpine climbing. Departs via cross-country past Production 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 Stepping Stone Lake spans roughly 6.7 miles from the starting trailhead and involves almost 2,500 vertical feet of elevation gain. For backpackers tracking directly from your multi-day basecamp, this destination sits about 1.5 miles past camp at Splinter Lake. If tracking sequentially from your last water stop, you will continue pushing past the Production Lake area, gaining 1,000 vertical feet of total elevation from basecamp.
The cross-country route climbs higher into the rugged upper alpine shelf. Once you push past the steep cliff bands surrounding the lower lakes, the grade levels out slightly as you navigate the rocky, glaciated terrain to arrive at the shores of Stepping Stone Lake, which sits at an elevation of 10,305 feet.
Tips & safety
High Country Navigation: Like the rest of the Day 2 route, the trail has completely vanished at this elevation. You must rely entirely on navigation instincts and map-reading to pick your line across the boulder fields and granite benches.
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 high-altitude water body.
