Mystic Lake Montana a Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Trail
Is a popular trailhead for day hikers as well as backpackers. Hike to Mystic Lake is a three mile one way hike with an elevation gain of sixteen hundred and fifty feet. Trail’s actual name is West Rosebud Trail Nineteen.
Dam at Mystic Lake was built in 1925, providing Stillwater County, Montana residence’s and businesses’ with much needed power. Power plant is twelve megawatt hydro generation system.
Livingston Montana Art Gallery Showing
The night before hitting the trail to Mystic Lake we stop in Livingston, Montana at AD Maddox’s Art Gallery for a showing of her newest painting. These were incredible, AD’s a most excellent artist. We met some friends their and went to dinner at the Livingston Bar and Grill. If ever in Livingston stop, food is great 5 star.
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- Downtown Livingston Montana on a early summer evening
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- Sign at the Livingston Bar and Grille in Livingston, Montana home of Fly Fishing
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- Dinner at the Livingston Bar and Grille was great.
From Livingston we head to Fishtail Montana in a pounding rain storm and up into the Custer National Forest to a Pine Grove Campground for the night. Our route, left Livingston on I-90 heading east to Columbus Montana. Took exit 408, State Rte. 78 Turned right and made a stop at Town Pump for fuel, before heading to the Wilderness. Back on State Rte. 78 South, pay attention it zigs and zags through Columbus. On over the Yellowstone River for seventeen miles and turn right on Nye Road. Continued on Nye Road for 4.3 miles then took a left on West Rosebud Road. West Rosebud ends at the Trailhead Parking lot and can be quite rough for 15 of the 20.5 miles. Storm continued all night with lots of lightning happened most of the night, ended up sleeping sitting up in the seats of the rig.
Hiking Montana to Mystic Lake in Yellowstone Country
At first light we head out of the Pine Grove Campground up the road to the trailhead for Mystic Lake. But first a little exploring first time int he area. We Cross over West Rosebud Creek and drive past Emerald Lake. Stopped at West Rosebud Lake and took photos. On down to the trailhead. In the parking lot we have breakfast of yogurt and granola and packed our lunches.
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- West Rosebud Creek flowing towards Fishtail, Montana. On the Bridge at Emerald Lake National Forest Campground.
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- Emerald Lake, first view of
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- Further up the road crossing West Rosebud Creek, interesting lighting with storm clouds and a hard rain.
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- Emerald Lake Montana Custer National Forest
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- Close up of Emerald Lake, this a popular paddle boarding and kayaking destination
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- View from Mystic Lake Trailhead parking lot
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- Guests for breakfast
Hike to Mystic Lake Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness
Leaving trailhead on West Rosebud Trail Nineteen hiking up to Mystic Lake. Lower third of the trail we hike past Northwest Energies Power Generating Plant.
You can take the Phantom Creek Trail to East Rosebud Lake and connect with another trail and hike on down to Cook City, Montana.
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- A few signs to let us know what we can and can't do on a Mystic Lake Montana Hike what do you think
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- Main trailhead sign, this trail ends in a canyon at Silver Lake and Island Lake in between it and Mystic.
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- Trail is smooth and wide, which means well used. West Rosebud Trail 19 is a popular trail and gets quite a bit of traffic
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- Beautiful upper valley as we begin our hike around the Northwest Energy Power Complex for about a mile I believe, not totally sure
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- Nice boulder to stop and have a photo op at.
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- On down the trail to the wilderness with passing storms this morning
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- Looking up the pipeline towards Mystic lake. Pipeline bring water to the power generating station
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- Looking down the water pipeline towards the power station. Power company uses a rail system to travel back and forth to the dam.
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- Information plaque about water storage and electricity production
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- At the edge of what I am calling the power complex and going back into the forest, then into wilderness. Kind of.
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- Old water storage tank on a small spring. Kind of cool looking.
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- Small meadow opening with jagged peaks on three sides and open valley behind you.
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- A different angle on the camera, glancing to the southeast. Storm clouds are moving a good float through the sky.
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- West Rosebud Creek flowing down
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- Looking upstream West Rosebud Creek
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- Cool Little Chute, water is pretty glacial blue
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- Mark E Vonseggern was hiking with his Boy Scout Troop through the cover area here and slipped for his last step of life. Please watch where you are going and Have Fun.
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- Lots of rock or boulder formations in every direction.
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- Hiking up through the boulders or more like upon them looking back down stream
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- Such a beautiful section of the stream
Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness
In a few hundred yards over the West Rosebud in to the wilderness and Mystic Lake.
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- Enjoying every pool before we leave the stream and hike up the mountain
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- This stretch of West Rosebud Creek is very picturesque. We cross on a really nice bridge and leave the Northwest Energy Complex which is quite small in comparison to the energy it produces with very little foot print and impact.
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- Looking the other direction. Beautiful place
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- Bridge over the creek. Its not for horses, they have to get their feet wet.
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- Here we go across the bridge on our way to Mystic Lake Montana
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- On up the trail through a lodge pole and fir forest. Trail becomes steep from here to the ridge above the lake
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- The peaks are are very interesting, a forest of granite
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- Personality of trails is just like people, changes with the wind
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- Diversity of the forest is great with Aspens along the trail as we climb
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- What a view as we climb, beautiful panoramas
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- Behind the peaks is Froze to Death Plateau, in the winter I bet you would, too.
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- Trail meanders through some pretty good size boulder fields with some big boulders.
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- Looking back down the valley over boulders, forests and peaks as clouds roll by.
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- On up the Rocky Mountain Trail. The hikes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem offer some true wilderness experiences from the park side and out of Cook City, Montana
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- Wide angle shot of the peaks above us. Nature is such a great experience, ignites creativity, setting the soul on fire.
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- Forest transitions into mostly fir trees sparsely placed among the granite boulders
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- Forest colors are so vibrant in spring rains, creating great depth in the mountains surrounding us.
Mystic Lake
A very beautiful destination or pass by. Mystic Lake is over three hundred feet deep.
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- First glance of Mystic Lake as we are passing through the saddle.
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- The Lake is not in the Wilderness area, but the shoreline is. But it is still part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
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- First glimpse of the dam, it gives the lake a bit more surface area and some fairly clean based energy
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- Down the trail to the lake for a little fishing, maybe and exploring
Connecting Trails From Mystic Lake
Once passing Mystic Lake Dam, another half mile down the lake is the junction of Phantom Creek Trail Seventeen, takes you up over a pass and down to East Rosebud Lake where it ends or continue on to Granite Peak or Cook City Montana. Down the trail as you reach the end of Mystic Lake is Huckleberry Creek Trail to the east. Huckleberry Creek Trail climbs up to no surprise Huckleberry and ending at Princess Lake. Continuing on up West Rosebud Trail you will come to and pass Island Lake, so named for it’s island. Trail ends at Silver Lake, that being said the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness is the land of lakes and granite peaks, a most amazing adventure.
Stormy Hiking are You Prepared? Outdoor Apparel
On this hike the wind blew and the was sideways and coming straight down at times. Temperature was in the 40’s – 50’s in the morning reaching high 60’s in the afternoon heading to Mystic Lake Montana for a day hike.
As well as being dressed and prepared for the weather, don’t forget your bear spray. Grizzly bears are prevalent, this is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and beautiful.
Yellowstone Cabin Rentals – Montana Fly Fishing
First National Park has a lot to offer, with three states bordering it and the mecca of fly fishing Montana with famous rivers like the Madison River. Or the Yellowstone River flowing from above Yellowstone Lake and out as Yellowstone Lakes only outlet all the way to the Missouri un-dammed. Making it the longest freestone river in the Continental United States.
