Last week, the hike of the week for me was Lava Lake. This was another hike that I had been wanting to do for a long time, but just never had. Well, I have now hiked it and the one question I keep asking myself is: "Why did I not hike this sooner?!" The hike to Lava Lake is, so far, my favorite hike yet.
The hike itself is not steep, but the trail is pretty much all rock. Essentially, this is a trail that is not difficult due to insane elevation gain or intense length; rather, it is a trail that is difficult in that you continuously have to watch where you are stepping due to the rocky nature of the trail.
This trail winds its way through the Lee Metcalf Wilderness and is alongside Cascade Creek nearly the entire way. This walk in the woods is a peaceful one due to the sounds of the cascading creek in very close proximity to the trail. At around mile 2, there is a cool bridge that allows for very easy crossing of the creek. This bridge also serves as a great spot to take a photo of either oneself (seen below) and/or the rushing creek beneath it.
The last mile of the trail is more steep than the first 2, but in general, I would not go as far as to use the word steep to even describe this trail. At the end of the 3rd mile, there is a clearing in the forest and rock formations can be seen surrounding the lake. The views at the end of the Lava Lake Trail are extremely rewarding and make the rough path worth it all!
This is a MUST hike if you find yourself in the Bozeman/Big Sky area.
Until next time.......
MontanaMarci!
Lava Lake Basics:
Elevation Gain: 1600 Feet
Trail Distance: 3 miles (one way)
Estimated hike time: 3-4 hours (roundtrip)....5+ hours (with excess photography!)
MontanaMarci's Favoritism Rating: 5^s
Trail Highlights: THE LAKE! (enough said...get there already!)
Difficulty: 2/5
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| LAVA LAKE!!! |
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| Bridge at mile 2 |
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| Entering the wilderness |
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