Goose Lake Trail? (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Threads
234
Messages
4,430
Location
Bozeman, MT
Anyone familiar with Goose Lake Trail above Cooke City? Whats your assessment? I've found some trip reports and all but I feel like these jeep guys posting on youtube aren't very accurate or truthful in their reporting.
 
It is quite rocky, I would definitely recommend skids plates and a 2+ inch lift would help, but I have seen a 70's VW bug half way to Goose Lake :)
 
What do you want to know exactly? it is one of the best trails I have ever been on.

Its a great trail. I would agree you'd want a little tire and lift, sliders too. Other than that it isn't a HARD trail but it is more technical than others in the area.

The club is planning on a trip up there in August.
 
i have i gps track i can send, theres a couple of pretty sweet locations in that area. darren has his stock 100 with a hitch carrier up there one year. I didnt have to stack rocks but i heard they did alot of that for him
 
I will be in that area in 2 weekends with my college roommates and one of them wants to run it and camp at the lake. I would be in my 2015 trd pro, we would also have a 100 series with a small lift, and a gmc sierra 2500. Trying to assess the viability of doing this. I think my TRD Pro may actually have the least clearance, none of us have sliders. Also just wondering if its the total mosquito hell that the beaten path hikers have been talking about.

I have mapped all sections of the GCNF, most of the Lewis and Clark, and a few other areas and loaded in Gaia so no issues there, but thanks for offering.
 
i ran it late summer last year, camped at the end. No one around other than rangers on ATVs thinking i was in for a challenge.

Like others said, it was rocky and plenty of diff catchers on some of the tricker sections, which may potentially get you stuck. There's one hard section (has a bypass) which needed lockers. Essentially a steepish climb, with a big boulder at entry. I won't attempt without any armour since one slip means goodbye to your rocker. Lift/sliders are always good insurance tackling trails like this but if you have time and willing to spend time stacking rocks then it's definitely doable.

No mosquitoes, and luckily no grizzlies around (that we saw). But it's the perfect camp spot if that's what you are looking for, and the views along the trail is topnotch! Hands down the most memorable part of my yellowstone/teton trip.
 
I think star lake is a better camp site, it's also where I proposed to my wife. The trail ends at a wilderness boundary and goose is another half mile in. No driving in the wilderness.
It can also get busy with 4 wheeler/side x side traffic.
Mosquitos are bad but I've seen worse.
Full size truck may have difficulty past star lake.
The hike to grasshopper glacier above goose us steep but short. I'd do again. Drive up sheep mountain on "the way out", stellar view from up there.
 
Last edited:
It’s definitely doable if you’re a competent driver. But it may be just narrow enough that the full size truck may have some issues in the first half, and it may be just hard enough that everybody is going to be nervous and not have a ton of fun on the last 2 obstacles. I think everybody will have more fun stopping at star lake like previously mentioned.
 
I will be in that area in 2 weekends with my college roommates and one of them wants to run it and camp at the lake. I would be in my 2015 trd pro, we would also have a 100 series with a small lift, and a gmc sierra 2500. Trying to assess the viability of doing this. I think my TRD Pro may actually have the least clearance, none of us have sliders. Also just wondering if its the total mosquito hell that the beaten path hikers have been talking about.

I have mapped all sections of the GCNF, most of the Lewis and Clark, and a few other areas and loaded in Gaia so no issues there, but thanks for offering.
Will add that this trail is rocky pretty much the whole way as I recall. And it is rocky right out of the gate too, so if you don't like the beginning turn around and do Daisy and Lulu and Sheep Mtn. Good tires are a must have.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom