Hiking Otokomi Lake Trail in Glacier National Park
Hiking Otokomi Lake Trail in Glacier National Park
Length: 10.9 miles, Elevation Gain: 2,316 feet, Trail Type: Out and Back
Trekking Wild Rating: Hard, Location: Glacier National Park, Montana
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The Otokomi Lake Trail is a pleasant hike that leads to a beautiful alpine lake. It can be done as a day hike, or as we did, as an overnight backpacking trip. We rated this trail as hard, which is definitely accurate if you choose to hike it as a day hike. It becomes a little less strenuous as a backpacking trip since the mileage is spread out over two days, although you’ll be carrying much more weight than on a day hike.
Getting to the Trailhead
The Otokomi trailhead is located off Going-to-the-Sun Road on the east side of the park, accessible from Rising Sun. At the time of this writing, in addition to the park entry fee, you also need a vehicle pass if you are entering from the west entrance between Memorial Day and Labor Day, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. You do not need a vehicle pass if you enter from the east through the St. Mary entrance. The park has changed how the vehicle pass system works each year, so make sure to check the park website. You can purchase vehicle passes on the Recreation.gov website. There is ample parking at Rising Sun, as well as a campground and a camp store.
Day 1
We arrived at the trailhead around noon and were pleasantly surprised to find parking easily. We put on our packs and started up the trail. The trail maintains a steady climb all the way to the lake. While there are some sections with ups and downs, the elevation profile is fairly consistent. The trail winds through varied terrain, including a significant burn area, so on a hot day, you may find yourself fairly exposed. The trail follows Rose Creek, offering some nice views and a few waterfalls.
We continued down the trail until we reached the campsite, which you’ll encounter before reaching the lake. We dropped our packs and made our way to the lake. The lake is stunning, surrounded by towering mountain peaks, with crystal-clear blue waters and red rock shores.
After spending some time at the lake, we headed back to the campsite and selected a tent pad to set up our tent. The campsite had a pole for hanging food and an outhouse. When backpacking in Glacier, the first thing you should do upon arriving at camp is hang your food.
After setting up camp, we headed down to the lake with our fishing poles. We caught several cutthroat trout along the shoreline. While we didn’t catch any giants, the action was fairly consistent. After a couple of hours of fishing, we returned to camp to make dinner. Although we didn’t notice it as much by the lake, the campsite had a lot of flies. We were hiking this trail in late July, so encountering bugs wasn’t surprising. If you decide to hike this trail, be prepared to deal with the bugs.
Day 2
We woke up early on Day 2. After making coffee and having a light breakfast, we headed back down to the lake for more fishing. Once again, the bite was consistent, with cutthroat trout being the primary catch. The lake has a steep drop-off just beyond the shoreline, and casting beyond that drop-off and working the fly back toward the shore yielded the best results.
After a few more hours of fishing, we returned to camp to pack up. When we got back, some day hikers informed us that we had apparently walked right past a grizzly feeding on berries a little off-trail. We tend to stay alert while hiking, so we were surprised we didn’t see it. It just goes to show how well animals can blend into their surroundings.
After packing up camp, we headed back down the trail. Our hike out was pretty uneventful, as the trail is an out-and-back, so we were just retracing our steps.
Summary
The Otokomi Lake Trail is a great hike, whether you do it as a day hike or an overnight backpacking trip. The lake is beautiful, with excellent fishing. However, be prepared for flies and mosquitoes, so bring a head net and bug spray. I personally prefer picaridin over DEET; I find it works better. Sawyer makes an excellent product that you can buy on Amazon. The campsites are nice, with tent pads tucked into the brush, offering some privacy from other campers. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed this trail and would highly recommend it.
August 25, 2024
