Montana's Beartooth Mountains, Rainbow Lake Hike--8.2018
I must admit that I was perfectly content in my own little Blue Ridge Mountain waterfall filled world when I booked a trip back to Montana to catch up with someone who is special to me and to get in a possible hike.
Let me preface this quick blog with a STRONG recommendation. If you have never been to Montana, you need to go! If you feel jaded, lost, hopeless, disconnected or anxious; you need to go to Montana. If you are having trouble or lack of faith in whomever you believe in (or don't); you need to go to Montana. Get the point?! 😜
I have lived in several beautiful places and I will always cherish my 3 years in untouched Montana! From an explorer or hiker perspective, Montana is one you long for. There aren't many people, therefor there aren't many tourists. Its expensive to get to by air or train, so folks typically pass on it and head to Colorado or Utah because of ease of accessibility. These reasons all lead into some of Montana's wonder. It really is God's Country.
When (notice I say "when" because I hope you start planning today)...when you go to Montana, there are several routes to chase. You can hit Yellowstone (MT/WY) or Glacier NP's, or you can opt for the road less traveled and chase solitude with an overwhelming amount of awe and splendor. I will always recommend the Beartooth Mountains to friends or other explorers. There are significantly less tourists than the National Parks and just as much beauty for 10% of the hassle.
Billings Logan International Airport is pretty easy to fly in and out of. Flights are cheaper compared to the rest of the state, and the airport puts you smack in the middle of the largest city in the state (@165,000 in MCA circa 2018). The Beartooth Mountains are visible from Billings on a clear day. You can also stay downtown and poke around the shops on Broadway and rest securely in a decent hotel. The mountains will be about an hour drive from Billings. There are several hikes I could easily take all of your time today describing, but a few stand out. I will continue to add them to my blog. However, only one is my favorite: The Beaten Path Trail near East Rosebud Lake. I have not yet completed the whole 28 mile through hike journey, but I plan on it for 2019. That being said, there are several smaller day hikes that anyone could complete along the way utilizing the same trail.
Novices: 2.5 miles in is Elk Lake. One of the prettiest sites you may EVER see. There is some slight vertical that you can work up a decent sweat on, but its nothing a cool drink or dip in Elk Lake won't cure! This is a great morning to late afternoon hike. I would expect most people to take about a 3 to 4 hour round trip.
Intermediate/Experienced: Rimrock or Rainbow Lake are highly worth the 14 mile or 16 mile trips respectively. Plan for a pretty full day as the scenery will continue to stop you in your tracks and photos to be taken. Expect a 6 to 8 hour round trip.
The great thing about this part of the Beartooths is that there is very little predator wildlife too. You may run into an occasional deer, eagle, moose or muskrat. However, I have yet to hear of bear traffic on this particular section of the trail. This is due mostly to a large set of wildfires that ripped through the area in the early 1990's causing a great loss of vegetation and prey for carnivores to feast on. With that, most bears, mountain lions, wolves, etc. moved on to easier places to hunt.
Now you are asking to yourself "can he please just talk about the dang hike!?" Here you go...
Starting off, the drive into the valley where the sleepy mountain town of East Rosebud resides is ridiculous. If you lose concentration, you will think you are in the Alps in Europe. Park your car in the designated lot and begin. I must also mention that there are lodges available on VRBO and a public campsite on the ground as well.
The first section of the hike is relatively flat as you walk past East Rosebud Lake to begin your journey into the valley. You will pass over a great lookout point with a view of the entire Lake. Great photo opportunity!
Continuing on, the hike will start to pick up in elevation, but you will have many views to look at as a distraction to your legs starting to burn. There is a beautiful river that runs through the heart of the valley and its cool waters are inviting. The early spring and summer will have these water gushing at the seams with powerful whitewater! If you look up, you will notice that you are surrounded by giant spires of shear granite rock. You can take photos and videos, but no one will understand the scale or magnitude of these sleepy giants except for you!
Soon you will go into a wooded area where you'll pop out the other side to Elk Lake. Its little beach area is fantastic to rest, contemplate why you need to come back to Montana, or just think about life, the things you love or don't love, why we allow ourselves to be continuously unhappy while we should always be in constant pursuit of our own self-fulfillment and happiness, or maybe just you're thinking about narwhales....its up to you! Plenty of camping areas and opportunities for hammocks.
If you decide to press on, you mind as well go all the way to Rainbow Lake if only planning Rimrock. Rainbow Lake is only another mile past Rimrock Lake and is well worth every step!
Upon leaving Elk Lake, there will be some very flat and semi-flat walking for about a two miles. Vertical will start to pick up rapidly. I believe the most difficult part of this hike will be where you see a small drainage pond with a large rock in the center. This will be a sign for plenty of switchbacks to come! There are still spectacular views both offered from the river and the large faced mountains surrounding the area. Eventually after 3 1/2 miles past Elk Lake you will reach Rimrock Lake.
Rimrock Lake is unmistakable as its walls go straight up in the air with only a little path for hikers to negotiate around on. There is a small wooden bridge to cross over the neck of the lake where the river you've been admiring starts. I have swam in this lake before. If you are of faint of heart or don't like refreshingly cold swims, then pass. However, on a hot day this is a perfect spot to jump in the cool waters and lower your body temperature from the pervious incline. Prepare yourself for snow melt cold! There are several places to camp, fish and rehydrate before moving on. Don't forget to admire the waterfall on the opposite side of the lake.
Along the last mile to Rainbow Lake, there is a pretty skinny tall waterfall high up in the mountains. It will seem like its impossible to even occur, but thats Montana's magic at work once again. As you push through the final stage of your 8 mile hike, there are a few switch backs and eventually a wooded area. Amongst the trees, if you pay close attention, you will pick up on a slight offshoot trail on your left. This will take you to probably the most beautiful lookout point (possibly campsite) there is along the trail so far. Its a great view of Rimrock Lake!
Back in the wooded section there are several smaller swampy ponds that mother-nature once utilized for the overflow of snow melt. Keep pushing on and you will quickly come to a clearing and low and behold one of the most awesome sights you will ever see: Rainbow Lake. First off, its HUGE! However, her secrets remain a mystery to man and the societal machine of change and industry. There are no houses, no boats, no dockside bars, no sounds, no campers, but plenty of peace and quite. Enjoy these moments. Take pictures, laugh with friends, have a snack, but do yourselves a favor and just "be" for a few moments. Take it in. You are now in a place so magical that words and social media will not do it justice or even scratch the surface of description.
Now go hike 8 miles back out! :)
I sincerely hope you make it out to Montana and into the Beartooths. When I visited last, I was very stressed and things in my life that I thought were a priority, actually weren't. One of the greatest things about being outdoors in raw nature like the Montana Beartooths, is that its awesomeness quickly sorts out a lot of those worries, humbles you and leaves you with amazing memories. Until next time...
Below are links to the AllTrails map and a YouTube video I made about this hike:
AllTrails Rainbow Lake Hike Link
Rainbow Lake Video:
Let me preface this quick blog with a STRONG recommendation. If you have never been to Montana, you need to go! If you feel jaded, lost, hopeless, disconnected or anxious; you need to go to Montana. If you are having trouble or lack of faith in whomever you believe in (or don't); you need to go to Montana. Get the point?! 😜
I have lived in several beautiful places and I will always cherish my 3 years in untouched Montana! From an explorer or hiker perspective, Montana is one you long for. There aren't many people, therefor there aren't many tourists. Its expensive to get to by air or train, so folks typically pass on it and head to Colorado or Utah because of ease of accessibility. These reasons all lead into some of Montana's wonder. It really is God's Country.
When (notice I say "when" because I hope you start planning today)...when you go to Montana, there are several routes to chase. You can hit Yellowstone (MT/WY) or Glacier NP's, or you can opt for the road less traveled and chase solitude with an overwhelming amount of awe and splendor. I will always recommend the Beartooth Mountains to friends or other explorers. There are significantly less tourists than the National Parks and just as much beauty for 10% of the hassle.
Billings Logan International Airport is pretty easy to fly in and out of. Flights are cheaper compared to the rest of the state, and the airport puts you smack in the middle of the largest city in the state (@165,000 in MCA circa 2018). The Beartooth Mountains are visible from Billings on a clear day. You can also stay downtown and poke around the shops on Broadway and rest securely in a decent hotel. The mountains will be about an hour drive from Billings. There are several hikes I could easily take all of your time today describing, but a few stand out. I will continue to add them to my blog. However, only one is my favorite: The Beaten Path Trail near East Rosebud Lake. I have not yet completed the whole 28 mile through hike journey, but I plan on it for 2019. That being said, there are several smaller day hikes that anyone could complete along the way utilizing the same trail.
Novices: 2.5 miles in is Elk Lake. One of the prettiest sites you may EVER see. There is some slight vertical that you can work up a decent sweat on, but its nothing a cool drink or dip in Elk Lake won't cure! This is a great morning to late afternoon hike. I would expect most people to take about a 3 to 4 hour round trip.
Intermediate/Experienced: Rimrock or Rainbow Lake are highly worth the 14 mile or 16 mile trips respectively. Plan for a pretty full day as the scenery will continue to stop you in your tracks and photos to be taken. Expect a 6 to 8 hour round trip.
The great thing about this part of the Beartooths is that there is very little predator wildlife too. You may run into an occasional deer, eagle, moose or muskrat. However, I have yet to hear of bear traffic on this particular section of the trail. This is due mostly to a large set of wildfires that ripped through the area in the early 1990's causing a great loss of vegetation and prey for carnivores to feast on. With that, most bears, mountain lions, wolves, etc. moved on to easier places to hunt.
Now you are asking to yourself "can he please just talk about the dang hike!?" Here you go...
Starting off, the drive into the valley where the sleepy mountain town of East Rosebud resides is ridiculous. If you lose concentration, you will think you are in the Alps in Europe. Park your car in the designated lot and begin. I must also mention that there are lodges available on VRBO and a public campsite on the ground as well.
The first section of the hike is relatively flat as you walk past East Rosebud Lake to begin your journey into the valley. You will pass over a great lookout point with a view of the entire Lake. Great photo opportunity!
Continuing on, the hike will start to pick up in elevation, but you will have many views to look at as a distraction to your legs starting to burn. There is a beautiful river that runs through the heart of the valley and its cool waters are inviting. The early spring and summer will have these water gushing at the seams with powerful whitewater! If you look up, you will notice that you are surrounded by giant spires of shear granite rock. You can take photos and videos, but no one will understand the scale or magnitude of these sleepy giants except for you!
Soon you will go into a wooded area where you'll pop out the other side to Elk Lake. Its little beach area is fantastic to rest, contemplate why you need to come back to Montana, or just think about life, the things you love or don't love, why we allow ourselves to be continuously unhappy while we should always be in constant pursuit of our own self-fulfillment and happiness, or maybe just you're thinking about narwhales....its up to you! Plenty of camping areas and opportunities for hammocks.
If you decide to press on, you mind as well go all the way to Rainbow Lake if only planning Rimrock. Rainbow Lake is only another mile past Rimrock Lake and is well worth every step!
Upon leaving Elk Lake, there will be some very flat and semi-flat walking for about a two miles. Vertical will start to pick up rapidly. I believe the most difficult part of this hike will be where you see a small drainage pond with a large rock in the center. This will be a sign for plenty of switchbacks to come! There are still spectacular views both offered from the river and the large faced mountains surrounding the area. Eventually after 3 1/2 miles past Elk Lake you will reach Rimrock Lake.
Rimrock Lake is unmistakable as its walls go straight up in the air with only a little path for hikers to negotiate around on. There is a small wooden bridge to cross over the neck of the lake where the river you've been admiring starts. I have swam in this lake before. If you are of faint of heart or don't like refreshingly cold swims, then pass. However, on a hot day this is a perfect spot to jump in the cool waters and lower your body temperature from the pervious incline. Prepare yourself for snow melt cold! There are several places to camp, fish and rehydrate before moving on. Don't forget to admire the waterfall on the opposite side of the lake.
Along the last mile to Rainbow Lake, there is a pretty skinny tall waterfall high up in the mountains. It will seem like its impossible to even occur, but thats Montana's magic at work once again. As you push through the final stage of your 8 mile hike, there are a few switch backs and eventually a wooded area. Amongst the trees, if you pay close attention, you will pick up on a slight offshoot trail on your left. This will take you to probably the most beautiful lookout point (possibly campsite) there is along the trail so far. Its a great view of Rimrock Lake!
Back in the wooded section there are several smaller swampy ponds that mother-nature once utilized for the overflow of snow melt. Keep pushing on and you will quickly come to a clearing and low and behold one of the most awesome sights you will ever see: Rainbow Lake. First off, its HUGE! However, her secrets remain a mystery to man and the societal machine of change and industry. There are no houses, no boats, no dockside bars, no sounds, no campers, but plenty of peace and quite. Enjoy these moments. Take pictures, laugh with friends, have a snack, but do yourselves a favor and just "be" for a few moments. Take it in. You are now in a place so magical that words and social media will not do it justice or even scratch the surface of description.
Now go hike 8 miles back out! :)
I sincerely hope you make it out to Montana and into the Beartooths. When I visited last, I was very stressed and things in my life that I thought were a priority, actually weren't. One of the greatest things about being outdoors in raw nature like the Montana Beartooths, is that its awesomeness quickly sorts out a lot of those worries, humbles you and leaves you with amazing memories. Until next time...
Below are links to the AllTrails map and a YouTube video I made about this hike:
AllTrails Rainbow Lake Hike Link
Rainbow Lake Video:
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