United States · US

Silt Lakes

Silt Lakes are a pair of small, high-elevation alpine tarns tucked into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness of southern Montana, reachable only after a long and rewarding hike up the West Fork of Rock Creek. Sitting at nearly 10,000 feet, these two lakes—Upper and Lower—reward the effort of the journey with solitude, striking granite scenery, and a genuine sense of remoteness that few Montana destinations can match. The lakes lie in the headwaters of the West Fork of Rock Creek, surrounded by the peaks that define the Beartooth Range. They are accessible via a maintained trail that climbs through forest, past waterfalls, and across open meadows before the last stretch of boot-path scramble delivers you to their cold, clear shores. The setting is classic high-country Montana: talus slopes, cirque walls, and the kind of silence that only exists where road access ends.