Gardner Lake as seen from a large pullout on the south side of the Beartooth Highway, US 212, about one mile northwest of Beartooth Pass.

The lake is fairly large and one is not likely to miss seeing it unless distracted by the majesty of the surrounding landscape or the desire to keep one’s eye on the highway. My GPS reported coordinates of N 44, 58.4304; W 109, 27.2793 and an elevation of 10,587 feet/3227 meters.

There is a trailhead at this pullout and a trail offering a short hike to Gardner Lake at a distance of only about three fourths of a mile. But you are going to loose about 1,000 feet of elevation as you drop down to the lake. Then you will have to climb back up that 1,000 feet to return to your vehicle.

This short hike also is the north entrance to a trail system called the Beartooh Recreation Loop. Once at the lake, one can make the loop around Tibbs Butte hiking clockwise or counterclockwise. Such a hike is almost eleven miles.

For a day hike, drop down to Gardner Lake and continue on to Losekamp and Stockade Lakes. A round trip to the lakes and back to the trailhead is about 8 miles. A shorter hike to the two lakes can be made from the Hauser Lake trailhead located across the Beartooth Highway from Long Lake on the other side of Beartooth Pass. That hike is only about six miles round trip.

Reading Suggestions for Hiking Near Gardner Lake

One can find more information about these hiking options in the following guide books available from amazon.com. Just click on the book image or title and a new window will open at amazon.com giving you more detailed information:

Hiking the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness by Bill Schneider. FalconGuides; 2nd edition, July 1, 2003. Paperback, 312 pages.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Day Hikes In the Beartooth Mountains by Robert Stone. Day Hike Books, Inc.; 5th edition; March 20, 2012. Paperback, 336 pages.