Geiger Lakes to Lost Buck Pass Trail is a 8.4 mile out and back trail located near Libby, Montana that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from June until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail.
Beautiful trail! We also started at Lake Creek (Trail 656). Nice trail, beautiful hike up to Lower and Upper Geiger. Then we went a little farther to see Wanless - absolutely gorgeous!! Mostly clear trail with a continuous, but gradual uphill climb. Saw only a handful of mosquitoes, but it was a 60* day. Took us 4.5 hours of moving time - 9 miles out and back (one small wrong turn) and 2,400 ft of elevation gain.
Great hike - Second time hiked it. Once last year and now this year. Just a beautiful as the first time. Was very warm. LOTS OF MOSQUITOES!! Hiked up to upper Geiger. More mosquitoes! First time I hiked up buck pass and a little further to see Wanlake. Well worth the extra hike. Just breath taking.
I highly highly recommend this trail! I followed the signs on the road and took trail 656 (did not log the first hike in because my phone was almost dead). I stayed at lower Geiger and it was a phenomenal spot with nearby water access. The next day I hiked to upper Geiger and then to Lost Buck Pass to over look Wanless. The trails aren’t well marked at all and so i definitely suggest downloading the map as well as using other people’s recordings. I found it hard to find the trailhead that AllTrails takes you to, so if you’re directionally challenged like me then just follow the road sign to Geiger lakes and then take trail 656. Great trails and a short hike to lower Geiger!
Amazing gem of a hike and pretty easy. There are actually two trails that will take you to the Geiger Lakes and Lost Buck Pass. We opted to follow the signs on the road driving in and started from the Lake Creek Trailhead, which we think saved us a mile or so. Not too bad when your lugging in your backpack. Trails aren't super well marked, so I highly recommend bringing a map or screenshotting the trails. There are not many campsites around Upper Geiger; the area is pretty steep. We found one at the base of the lake but it was still pretty swampy. The fishing was pretty good and my partner caught plenty on both the spin rod and fly pole. Go all the way to the top of the pass and hang left for some spectacular views!
June 19, 2020. There are two trail heads at the parking site but only one sign. It would be easy to think you’re starting on the right trail but don’t go straight if you’re doing Geiger. . The sign points down to the right. Go there. Very nice trail. Steady climb but no scrambling. There were a few muddy places with melt off running on it but overall good. At least 3/4 mile of the path to the upper lake was buried in snow. Feet and mounds of compressed snow. If you do not use one of the downloaded maps that’s, it would be super easy to get lost and go off trail. You cannot see the trail. Not at all.
Another example of why it’s so easy to fall in love with the Cabinet Mountains!! Hiked the Geiger Lakes using trail #656 (Forest Service provides good local maps). This is a different trail than the one featured on AllTrail. I picked this one because TH was just a few miles from the outstanding Lake Creek Campground (huge sites, bear lockers, loads of privacy, remote, beautiful). MANY trails leading to and around the Geiger Lake area. Beautiful trails, primarily forested, cool in the summer, fairly well maintained, overgrown in some places. Numerous wildfires made the air Smokey and brown unfortunately. Still absolutely worth doing! Highly recommend this trail and others nearby! It is deep in both black bear and Grizzly country so don’t forget bear spray.