Lost Lake
- 7.9 mi
- round trip
- 1,143 ft
- climb
- 6,177 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Is Lost Lake open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Lolo National Forest.
East Fork Big Creek Road & Trail Closure- Superior Ranger District
Agency alert covering Lolo National Forest · Order 26-003- · USFS · Lolo National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Lolo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Lost Lake is a hard hike in the Superior Ranger District of Lolo National Forest in western Montana, about 8 miles from the Forest Service's mapped route. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs from about 4,785 feet to about 6,177 feet, with a total gain of about 1,143 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at a similar elevation show July and August highs around 70°F with only about six wet days a month, while winter highs stay near 28°F. The trail is on natural surface and allows both horses and bikes. Several other hikes sit within a few miles, including Dry Fork, Bonanza Gulch and Missoula Lake. For an overnight base, Sloway Campground is about 8 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Granite Peak RV Resort47 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jul–Sep
Best time to visit Lost Lake
Best months: July–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
28° / 19°
19 wet
Feb
28° / 19°
17 wet
Mar
34° / 22°
19 wet
Apr
40° / 27°
17 wet
May
50° / 36°
15 wet
Jun
58° / 42°
13 wet
Jul
70° / 52°
6 wet
Aug
69° / 51°
6 wet
Sep
59° / 44°
8 wet
Oct
44° / 32°
13 wet
Nov
32° / 23°
17 wet
Dec
27° / 18°
18 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mullan Pass Vor/Dme, ID, 34.2 mi away at 6,028 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
HIKE
Dry Fork
~4 min drive
19.41-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,905 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Missoula Lake
~5 min drive
0.77-mile out-and-back trail to Missoula Lake in Montana with 1,243 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Ann Arbor
~7 min drive
5.31-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,669 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Bonanza Gulch
~5 min drive
5.72-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,871 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Bonanza Lakes
~5 min drive
Bonanza Lakes is a 0.71-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 105 feet of elevation gain.
HIKE
Montreal Gulch
~11 min drive
Montreal Gulch is a 3.47-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 5,799 feet of elevation gain.
HIKE
Dry Creek
~6 min drive
12.15-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 639 ft gain.
HIKE
Diamond Lake
~6 min drive
0.68-mile out-and-back trail to Diamond Lake in Montana with 11 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Yankee Bar
~12 min drive
4.03-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,658 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
SUNSET CREEK
~10 min drive
5.2-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,769 ft elevation gain.
