Our Lake From South Fork Teton Trailhead is a 7 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Choteau, Montana that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and birding and is best used from July until September. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Stunning trail. Incredible views. Got a little too dicey for us on a snow-covered scree field... Can’t wait to try it again in summer.
Seeing the lake was well worth it! It was very busy though which I wasn't a fan of
Really fantastic hike - second half becomes really beautiful with diverse terrain, wildflowers, and definitely the lake. Well worth the time spent and enough people are on trail to feel safe yet it isn’t crowded - may not see someone for quite a while. Take plenty of water especially if from down south and not used to elevation gains :), snacks, bear spray, and layers - quite windy at the top.
It was a tough hike for sure. I would say it's on the harder side of the "moderate" scale. Lots of switch backs but there's also a ton of cuts you can take straight up the mountain to cut them if you're up for the challenge. The flowers smell amazing and are along the entire hike. Both waterfalls are pretty extraordinary to see. The 2nd waterfall comes directly out of the lake, so when you're at the bottom, look up and get ready to climb! The lake itself is incredibly clear and looks like it gets pretty deep. You can definitely tell mountain goats enjoy it up there, too. Overall a challenging but gorgeous hike.also forgot to stop the recording until we were driving ;)
We did this hike yesterday. there was shade and sun. The trail is not graded nicey, it is one bumpy trail. It starts out wide but shortly turns into a one person at a time trail. Lots of switchbacks going up the mountain. At one point your are like a mountain goat as you walk across the face of the mountain on a trail of rocks. Not pebbles, but rocks. This part of the trail is unrecognizable as a trail. Not for the faint of heart. I dont know how beautiful it was because i couldnt look up or out. I just kept my eyes on the rocks. 4 miles from the bottom to the waterfalls. And then all we could smell was a dead fish in the water. Lots of horseflies and bees at the waterfalls. We didnt make it to the lake. we had a good day because the 3 kids enjoyed themselves and the trail before the rocks went thru the trees and smelled good. The patchy shade and breeze was nice.
Absolutely beautiful hike. Nicely shaded on the switchbacks. Flowers are in full bloom, and scenic vantage points abound. Plenty of places to rest on the way up. Recommend starting by 9am for the hike up.... the forest canopy shades most of the sun, and the breeze is still cool. Have a sweatshirt for the lake as the wind can get chilly. The alpine lake is the perfect place to picnic and explore for awhile. We didn’t have enough luck to see Mountain Goats this time, but all of the fur stuck in the thickets proves they are frequent visitors to this haven. Cannot wait to plan our next trip!
I hiked this for the first time on 7/18/20. It is an outstanding hike that I would definitely do again. The trail is well maintained and graded nicely. Finding the correct trail is a bit confusing as there is no signage right at the trail head. We did it late in the day, so we had the lake to ourselves but we did encounter several parties on the way up. Judging by the excellent condition of the trail and the size of the parking area at the trail head, this trail gets lots of traffic, so if you are into solitude, you might want to plan for either an early morning or early evening hike. As you head upward, Rocky Mountain, which is the prominent mountain in the Rocky Mountain Front as you make your way to the trail head from Choteau, is constantly in view until you get relatively close to Our Lake. It gradually reveals itself more and more, as does the surrounding landscape with its beautiful flat topped rock formations. Ultimately, a large cliff begins to block out Rocky Mountain from the trail, indicating you are getting close to two waterfalls. The lower one is nice but the upper one is much nicer. The upper falls drains directly out of Our Lake, so you can see where your destination is. At the time of my visit, there was a large snow slide at the base of the upper falls, which my daughter and her boyfriend walked down to. The water had carved a tunnel through the snow patch so you could see upward through the large snow slide. The only steep part of the hike in my opinion is from the base of the upper falls to the top, but even this part is well maintained and not killer steep. Our Lake and the basin it sits in are beautiful. The lake looks like it is rather deep and drops away quickly from the shoreline. It is a beautiful aquamarine color. You can see the flat plains to the east from the lip of the falls. This is a hike that provides lots of varied visual snacks along the way, making it an excellent day hike.
Really nice day hike and a perfect example of the Rocky Mountain front geology and ecosystems. I always like destination hikes and the lake and waterfalls are beautiful. It is a well traveled trail but even with 7 or 8 parties hiking, you are only with people moments at a time. Can be a little crowded at the lake but there is a good trail all around the lake so you can spread out. Mountain goats are very common to see.
I really enjoyed this hike. The waterfall and lake were stunning and the wildflowers were prolific. I got hit with 3 short afternoon thunderstorms on this hike which was cool to experience. The trail is in excellent condition. It steadily slopes upwards the entire way to the lake but it's doable for any hiker with average abilities. I think the moderate rating is fair. I only saw one other group of people on this hike. Took me just under 4 hours to complete.
The ride through Choteau is beautiful. There is a pullover (7 miles, I think) before the trail that has a toilet and picnic area. You can wait till you get to the trailhead though; they have a toilet there, and campgrounds along the river. The trail sign at the road was missing, but you’ll know you’re on the right trail about 5 minutes into it when you see signs bolted onto a tree. During the entire hike, I only passed one group (two awesome ladies and their four dogs). Just when you get to the point of telling yourself “don’t think, just do it”, the next bend stops you in your tracks with stunning beauty. The lake is a gem and most definitely worth the hike! I was lucky, had the entire lake to myself. I did one last glance around before settling in by the water, and three mountain goats were coming into the lake from the trail -moments behind me. The mom came to within 10 feet of me, didn’t even notice me until I said something. I love solo hikes, and moments like this all to yourself are flat out magical. It was one of my favorite experiences, and one of my top U.S. hikes. This is definitely a spot to take friends who visit from out of state! The moderate rating is accurate. During a hot day you can easily go through 2L of water just getting to the lake. I would recommend 3L so that you can spend more time at the lake (unless you have a filter). If you have knee issues, bring a trekking pole for the hike back. There is a portion that’s just gravel and it slopes, so a pole will help.
We hiked this trail on 7/16. I carried my 11 month old in a baby Bjorne carrier. Including me it was 3 adult women and my 14 yr old daughter and 11 year old nephew were along as well. It took us about 4 hours to complete. The sites were breathtaking. Took bear spray, stayed together, kept noise level up. Saw no bears and very little wildlife. Wildflowers were beautiful. Streams/waterfalls/snow patches closer to top. Oh there is a “toilet” at the top as well!