Cold Lakes

Cold Lakes is a 3.6-mile out-and-back hike in the Mission Mountains Wilderness, part of the Swan Lake Ranger District of Flathead National Forest in northwest Montana. The trail rises from about 5,100 feet to a high point of 5,809 feet, with a total elevation gain of 705 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced and open to horses. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Lindbergh Lake weather station show July and August highs around 78°F with lows near 50°F and only about seven wet days a month. That station sits roughly 1,500 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The Cold Lakes Trailhead parking area is the starting point, and the trail is open year-round. Elk Ridge lies about 4 miles away, and Terrace Lake and Piper Lake are within about 5 miles. Old Condon Ranger Station, a campground, is about 6 miles off.