Highlights:
Fun family fishing at Trask Lake and a possible climb up Racetrack Peak.
Location: About 12 miles west of Deer Lodge in the Flint Creek Range.
Type of hike: Out-and-back day hike or backpacking trip.
Total distance: 12.6 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Best months: Mid-June through September.
Maps:
Rock Creek Lake, Pike's Peak, and Pozega Lakes USGS Quads; and Beaverhead-Deerlodge
National Forest Map.
Finding the trailhead: Drive down the main street of Deer Lodge and turn west at the corner with the bank. Follow this road for 1.7 miles until it splits. Stay right, continuing straight on Forest Road 006. After 7.2 miles from the bank in Deer Lodge, turn left when the road forks and continue on FR 006. After 9.5 miles, what is now FR 168 splits; stay right for Rock Creek Lake. After 0.5 mile more, reach Rock Creek Lake and drive around the northern shore. (You may need a four-wheel-drive or high-clearance vehicle to make this last mile.) After 13.5 miles, park your vehicle at a turnoff just before three small cabins.
Parking & trailhead facilities: Limited parking, do not block the road.
Key points
0.5 Rock Creek Falls/Rock Creek Trail (53)The hike: From the trailhead, follow an old jeep road through the Daphne Lode patented mining claims past several cabins. About 0.5 mile up this road at Rock Creek Falls is the closure area boundary. No motorized vehicles are allowed beyond this point except for snowmobiles. From this point, the jeep road is maintained as Rock Creek Trail (53).
2.3 Junction with Trask Lakes Trail (63)
6.3 Trask Lakes
9.3 Racetrack Pass
10.3 Racetrack Peak
After 2.3 miles, Rock Creek Trail continues straight, but you must turn left, crossing Rock Creek and then following the South Fork of Rock Creek on Trask Lakes Trail (63). Once you're off the jeep road, the signs of civilization fall behind, and the hike becomes more of a quality backcountry experience. The trail is rocky and well defined. Trask Lakes Trail climbs gradually for four miles to Lower Trask Lake, one of four lakes (plus several potholes) in this small, gorgeous cirque.
The Forest Service did a great job on the bridges
and routing of Trask Lakes Trail. From its junction with Rock Creek Trail,
new bridges and several puncheon walkways have been constructed. Several
new puncheon walkways across muddy areas and construction of a short trail
from the Trask Lake basin over to Elbow Lake have also been completed.
Trask Lakes, at 7,800 feet, offer excellent fishing
for small brook trout. Fish are abundant, and even the youngest angler
can expect a good catch. (The fishing is also good in the main Rock Creek
along the jeep road in the first 3 miles of the hike.) The good fishing
and moderate, 13-mile round trip (1,900-foot elevation gain) make Trask
Lakes perfect for family backpacking. However, do not forget the insect
repellent, or your kids will not want to leave the tent. Drinking water
is available all along the trail.
Options: After you are bored with hauling in fish, you might try an interesting side trip to Racetrack Peak. Stay on Trask Lakes Trail for 3 miles past the lakes until it climbs to the top of 8,507-foot Racetrack Pass. Then turn right (west) and make a 1-mile scramble to the summit of 9,524-foot Racetrack Peak for an outstanding view of the entire area.
