Surprise Lake (Clarks Fork, WY)

Drainage: Clarks Fork (WY)
Approaches: Clay Butte Trailhead, approximately 8 mi round trip; roughly 1,650 ft of climbing along the way. On trail the whole way · From Native Lake, approximately 0.5 mi north
Elevation: 9,857 feet
Fish: Brook trout, common and self-sustaining
Coordinates: 44.99499, -109.61582
Bugs: Minimal on our visit

Getting there

The Clay Butte Trailhead sits off US 212 west of the Beartooth Lake turnoff, up the gravel Clay Butte Road toward the lookout tower. The signed trailhead is on the left just before a hairpin switchback, at approximately 9,555 feet.

The trail drops roughly 345 feet over the first mile and a half, then climbs north past Native Lake at about three miles. Surprise sits approximately half a mile beyond Native, on trail.

The hike

Approximately four miles from the trailhead with roughly 1,650 feet of climbing along the way. The trail runs within about fifty metres of the shoreline.

Surprise is around four acres at approximately 9,857 feet, and it sits in the middle of the tightest group of lakes on this side of the plateau. Deuce is under two tenths of a mile southwest, Ace under two tenths southeast, Trey three tenths east, and Box and Native both within half a mile. If you are going to spend an afternoon walking between small lakes, this is where to do it.

Tips & safety

• Navigation: on trail the whole way. Surprise is close enough to the trail that you cannot miss it.

• Camping: we did not camp at Surprise, so this is terrain description and not a site report. The lake sits on open plateau above the trees with no shelter. We carried on north and camped higher.

• Fishing: brook trout, common and self-sustaining. That comes from a fishing guide rather than Wyoming Game and Fish, and there is no state stocking record for Surprise Lake, so treat it as a starting point rather than a survey.

• Bugs: minimal on our visit.