The Beaten Path is a 26-mile point-to-point hike through incredible Montana wilderness that can be hiked in 2-4 days
Region: Mountain West (Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Montana)
Length: 26 miles (2-4 days)
Physical Difficulty: Moderate (from the Cooke City side)
- Doing this from Cooke City side means ~1,800 feet less elevation gain
- Once on the plateau, mostly flat / moderately downhill
- Path is well graded and well maintained
Logistical Difficulty: Moderate
- End-to-end means a long shuttle if you don’t do a key swap
- Plenty of water and camping along the trail
- No permits required
Season: Late summer
Average Elevation: 8500 feet
Total Elevation Gain: 3100 feet
How to Get to the Beaten Path
This hike is prime for a vehicle swap. Two groups of hikers can do opposite hiking directions then swap keys mid-trail.
If you don’t set up a vehicle swap, you can do a two-car shuttle. We hiked from Clarks Fork (near Cooke City) to East Rosebud (near Red Lodge), so we left Truck A at Rosebud, then drove to Clarks Fork with Truck B—it took about six hours total from Bozeman, Montana, including a drive over Beartooth Pass.
The shortest route to Cooke from East Rosebud is through Yellowstone Park, but there is a $30 entry fee and lots of bison jams. The other option is to take I-90 East to Exit 408 for Columbus, then continue toward Red Lodge and over the Beartooth Highway. Be aware that you cannot camp at the Clarks Fork Trailhead.
Hiking the Beaten Path
This trail gives you a real bang for your buck, and can be done from either direction. Going from the Cooke City side (Clarks Fork trailhead) to the Red Lodge side (East Rosebud trailhead) will give you significantly less elevation gain. You’ll hike in forests, along rivers, alpine lakes, waterfalls, and through canyons on well-graded terrain. The Forest Service map for the Beaten Path can be found here.
If you hike from Clarks Fork to Rosebud, you’ll start on the Russell Creek trail (#3), until it becomes the East Rosebud Trail (#15), marked by a large cairn near Fossil Lake. The trail is wide and well-traveled right from the start. Stay straight until you see a sign for Russell Creek Trail, then follow that. There are few markers along the trail, but the widest and most obvious trail is the one to follow.
The first few miles wind through the woods following Russell Creek, then it opens up around Kersey Lake before diving back into the trees. From there, the trail climbs moderately through a canyon with rocky outcroppings overlooking the river until expanding into a panoramic plateau of lakes, peaks, and drainages. The trail reaches its high point at Fossil Lake (~9,750 feet), and then descends pretty much the entire way to Rosebud, taking hikers past a dozen incredible alpine lakes. The trail crosses multiple creeks, winds through more forested sections, and along exposed rock faces. Your final few hours take you through the East Rosebud Drainage between towering canyon walls, all the way down to the river. The trail finishes through brush on a wide, well-graded trail scattered with wild raspberries and huckleberries.
When to Hike the Beaten Path
Late July through August is the best (only?) time to hike the Beaten Path. Since this trail reaches a lofty 12,000 feet, there’s a very short window when it isn’t buried in snow. It depends on the year, but sometimes September is fine too. I hiked this trail at the tail end of July and encountered just a few patches of slushy snow, then again in mid-July with a lot more snow. The weather was 50-75 degrees and sunny, minus a bit of rain and thunder in the later afternoon. This is pretty typical for summer in Montana at that elevation.
Beaten Path Terrain
This trail begins and ends with several miles of forested terrain, but spends most of its time above tree line. You’ll be on open plateaus surrounded by massive peaks and hiking past alpine lakes. The trail is very well graded, switchbacks abound, and there are few obstacles or technical sections. You’ll hike through a long canyon and along a sandy wash as you head towards East Rosebud after spending many miles on the high-elevation plateaus.
Logistics: Camping, Permits
Camping: Since you’re in a wilderness area, you can camp anywhere you please. I’ve listed some of the lakes and mileages below, all info from this Forest Service map, and listed from the Cooke City side. These are just a few options for an itinerary—the camping is so plentiful you’ll have trouble choosing the most beautiful spot.
Russell Lake (Mile 6)
Skull Lake (Mile 8.2)
Fossil Lake (Mile 10)
Duggan Lake (Mile 13.5)
Rainbow Lake (Mile 18)
Elk Lake (Mile 22.5)
East Rosebud Trailhead (Mile 26)
Permits and Management: You do not need a permit to hike or camp along the Beaten Path. You can technically camp anywhere along the trail, but practice good camping etiquette and stay at least 200 feet from water sources, and always leave minimal impact. Here’s your friendly reminder to also follow all the LNT principles. There are posted no-fire zones around Fossil Lake; the terrain is fragile and easily marred. You can camp there, but no fires. Also, depending on the time of year / fire danger, there might be more fire restrictions along the entire trail. Fishing is allowed, just make sure you have your permit.
Know Before You Go
Late-Season Snow: This trail can be snow covered at the highest elevations until late July, then again starting in September. The mosquitoes are gnarly for the first few miles, then they even out.
Trailhead Camping: You cannot camp at the Cooke City Trailhead, so keep that in mind when planning an early-morning start from the Clarks Fork / Cooke City side.
Mosquitos: The bugs can be nasty from the Cooke City side, and don’t let up until Fossil Lake. Bring a buttload of bug spray.
Resources
Yellowstone National Park Roads
Clarks Fork Trailhead to East Rosebud Trailhead Directions
A version of this post originally appeared on The Trek
