Hyalite Lake via Hyalite Creek Trail

Hyalite Canyon, Custer Gallatin National Forest (Hyalite Creek Trailhead, south of Bozeman)

The Hyalite Creek Trail climbs the head of Hyalite Canyon, south of Bozeman. Outside Bozeman describes falls “scattered throughout” the canyon on the way to Hyalite Lake, which sits in a basin below Hyalite Peak.

It’s a short overnight, about 11 miles round trip, and the lake can serve as a base for climbing the peak.

The hike

The trail starts at the Hyalite Creek Trailhead at the top of Hyalite Canyon. Hiking Project describes Trail #427 running “past dozens of gorgeous waterfalls, through thick coniferous forest, across boulder-strewn scree zones, and then up, up, up a series of switchbacks” to the lake. Hikers’ check-ins on Hiking Project name Grotto Falls as the first, followed by Arch Falls and Silver Skein Falls.

Outside Bozeman gives 11 miles round trip and 1,900 feet of gain to the lake. The Outbound’s backpacking writeup says it’s a little more than 5 miles one way, with about 2,000 feet of gain that the author found gradual enough to manage with a pack. The same author describes the lake as small, “more of a pond even by alpine standards.”

Hyalite Peak is about two more miles from the lake, according to both sources. Hiking Project’s route to the summit is 15 miles round trip, topping out at 10,136 feet, with steep switchbacks and scree near the top. It warns that this north-facing, shaded terrain “tends to hold snow through mid-July.” The Outbound suggests the peak for sunrise or sunset from a camp at the lake.

The trail is shared on some days. Outside Bozeman describes a time-share: hiking and horseback only on Fridays and Saturdays, with bikes and motorcycles allowed Sunday through Thursday. The Forest Service’s 2026 travel order for the Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area (in effect May 1, 2026 to May 1, 2027) sets those bike and motorcycle days from July 16 to September 4, on the stretch from the trailhead to the Storm Castle Trail junction. A hiker reported “some motorcycle traffic on the lower trail” in late August 2026 (Hiking Project). Plan a weekend trip if you want the trail to yourself.

Separately, the Forest Service’s Hyalite Area Occupancy Order allows camping only at signed designated sites within half a mile of the canyon’s roads and road ends, so don’t pitch a tent near the trailhead.

For a longer overnight in the same part of Montana, see Spanish Creek to Mirror Lake.

Tips

Go Friday or Saturday in midsummer to avoid bikes and motorcycles.
Carry bear spray, as Outside Bozeman advises.
Watch for runoff in spring and ice in winter (Outside Bozeman).
Expect snow near the top into July (Hiking Project).

Camping

There is no permit system for Hyalite Lake in the sources we read. Near the road, the occupancy order limits camping to signed designated sites and fires to installed metal rings; the lake, about five miles up the trail, appears to be well beyond that zone (the order’s map wasn’t available to check). The Custer Gallatin food storage order applies on the Bozeman Ranger District from March 1 to December 1: food and scented items must be attended, hung at least 10 feet up and 4 feet out, or stored in a certified bear-resistant container. Bozeman Ranger District: 406-522-2520.

Inside Intel: Aimee Heffernan, writing for The Outbound, found “plenty of spaces around the lake” to pitch a tent or hang a hammock, and says camping there felt “very secluded since the lake is mostly day hiker destination.”

Trail facts

Distance: About 11 miles round trip
Route type: Out and back
Difficulty: Moderate
Campsites: Dispersed at Hyalite Lake
Water: Hyalite Creek and its falls, the lake; treat it
Permits: None reported
Shared use: Bikes and motorcycles on set days in summer
Bear storage: Required March 1 to December 1
Trailhead: Hyalite Creek Trailhead, Hyalite Canyon
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

A hammock or a tent at Hyalite Lake:

The Outbound found room for both around this small lake below Hyalite Peak. See the backpacking shelters testers recommend.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.