Cobalt Lake
| Trail Features: | Scenic views, Alpine lake, Wildflowers, Falls |  |
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| Trail Location: | Two Medicine (South Shore Trailhead) | ||||
| Roundtrip Length: | 11.2 Miles | ||||
| Total Elevation Gain: | 1450 Feet | ||||
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 259 Feet | ||||
| Highest Elevation: | 6597 Feet | ||||
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 14.10 (strenuous) | ||||
| Parking Lot Latitude | 48.48381 | ||||
| Parking Lot Longitude | -113.36954 | ||||
Trail Description:
The hike to Cobalt Lake begins from the South
Shore
Trailhead at Two Medicine Lake. Just going to the trailhead is a
worthwhile
experience. The view from the eastern shore of Two Medicine Lake, with
Sinopah
Mountain, Lone Walker Mountain and Flinsch Peak providing a picture
perfect
backdrop, is one of the most beautiful scenes in Glacier National Park.
At just over a quarter of a mile from the trailhead hikers reach the side trail to Paradise Point, a small beach area that offers commanding views of Two Medicine Lake and Rising Wolf Mountain.
Roughly one-half mile from the trailhead hikers will arrive at the first in a series of small beaver ponds. This area, for the next quarter mile or so, is prime habitat for moose, which are frequently seen foraging in and around the ponds, especially in the mornings and late afternoons. The trail in this area, and all the way up to Rockwell Falls, travels through a montane forest of Lodgepole Pine and Douglass fir, with several small and large meadows interspersed along the way.
At 1.1 miles you’ll cross over Aster Creek, and in a short distance, reach the side trail that leads to Aster Falls and Aster Park Overlook.
Roughly
2.3 miles from the
trailhead hikers will reach a suspension bridge over Paradise Creek. Some
people may
be a little nervous about walking over suspension footbridges. To get
across
without incident, just walk slowly, stay towards the middle of the
bridge, and
keep both hands on the railings as you proceed across the bridge.
At 2.6 miles you’ll reach the South Shore Trail and Two Medicine Pass Trail junction. Turning right onto the South Shore Trail leads to the boat dock on the western shore of two Medicine Lake, and offers hikers the option of taking the boat back to the trailhead, for a fee. This trail also leads to Twin Falls and Upper Two Medicine Lake. To continue onto Cobalt Lake, turn left onto the Two Medicine Pass Trail.
Up to this point the trail has been traveling in the general direction of 8271-foot Sinopah Mountain. The trail now begins heading southward, and towards the general direction of 7650-foot Painted Tepee Peak.
At just under 3.5 miles you’ll cross a footbridge. The trail then makes a turn towards the right, and in a very short distance, you’ll arrive near the base of Rockwell Falls.
Rockwell Falls actually consists of two separate falls. The waterfall most visible from the trail drops roughly 30 or 40 feet. There’s another fall, roughly equal in height, located about 100 feet behind the main falls. Due to the angle and the trees, this waterfall is a little more difficult to see. However, for those that don’t mind a little scrambling, there is way to gain a better view a little further up the trail.
Up
to this point hikers have only seen a gradual increase in
elevation. Once past the falls, however, the trail begins climbing a
series of
switchbacks that lead hikers into the U-shaped valley, carved by Ice
Age
glaciers, between Painted Tepee and Sinopah Mountain. You can see this
geological history from the trailhead (in the photo near the top).
Just above the falls the trail also passes through a long stretch of huckleberries. This is a good place to make a lot of noise to let any bears know you’re passing through. If your timing’s right and the berries are ripe, this is also a good place to grab a tasty snack before proceeding onto Cobalt Lake.
As hikers climb higher, the trail enters a subalpine zone characterized by dwarf trees, beautiful meadows and numerous wildflowers.
At just over 5.5 miles, after making a short, but relatively steep climb, the trail finally tops out at its highest elevation. From here it’s a short walk down to Cobalt Lake, which lies in a basin below 7682-foot Chief Lodgepole Peak.
In my opinion the better views are from the southern and eastern shore of the lake, just beyond the campground (includes 2 campsites). For photographers, 9272-foot Mt. Rockwell and Sinopah Mountain form a nice backdrop behind the lake.
The Two Medicine Pass Trail continues beyond Cobalt Lake, heading west for a stretch before swinging southeast and tracking just below the summit of Chief Lodgepole Peak. Once on the southeastern side of the peak, the trail goes over Two Medicine Pass and into the Upper Park Creek valley.
