Snow Lakes

Difficulty: Hard
Trip Type: Day Hike
Distance: ~11 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,243 feet (Lower) & 9,351 feet (Upper)
Coordinates: 45.15328, -109.64049 (Lower)
Time: ~7 hours round trip
Access: Maintained trail, followed by up to 3 miles of grueling off-trail route-finding. Departs from East Rosebud Trailhead.
Bugs: Minimal (little to no bugs)

Getting there

Park at the East Rosebud Trailhead to begin the hike.

The hike

Follow the main East Rosebud trail for roughly 2.5 to 3 miles until you reach the junction with Snow Lakes Creek. Leave the main path here to tackle a grueling and steep climb up the drainage, gaining roughly 3,000 feet of vertical elevation. While there are only occasional signs indicating a trail, staying on the north side of the creek is the easiest route to navigate and shows the most signs of a well-defined footpath.

You will reach Lower Snow Lake first, located about 5 miles from the trailhead. To continue to Upper Snow Lake, keep pushing further up the drainage for an additional half-mile to a mile off-trail, bringing the total one-way climb to 5.5 miles and 3,100 vertical feet.

Tips & safety

• Seasonality: Tackling this trail late in the hiking season brings brisk temperatures and dropping conditions. Upper Snow Lake begins to freeze over early, offering a stark reminder of approaching winter conditions.

• Navigation: This is a strenuous off-trail route requiring significant route-finding along the creek drainage. Stick to the north side of the water to keep the tracking as straightforward as possible.

• Fishing: FWP and GNIS data listed for Rainbow Trout at both lakes, but we didn't catch any fish.