Echo Lake Road to the FS 1592 Road End

From MT-1, Southern Cross Road and Echo Lake Road to Red Lion Road (FS 242); FS 242 for 7.98 miles to its end; then FS 1592 for 3.43 miles to the road end at Fisher Lake. That is 11.41 miles on Forest Service roads (FS road inventory) and about 14.1 miles one way from MT-1 (Hiltz, secondary: "Length?: 14.1 Miles"), or about 28.2 miles round trip, returning the same way.

Moderate · One Steep, Loose Hill and a Notch

NO RECORD OF AGF DRIVING THIS ROUTE: the 5/10 is AGF's estimate, not an AGF run. AGF rates a trail by its hardest unavoidable obstacle in normal dry conditions. Here that is one steep, loose-rock hill with a notch at the top (where it falls along the road: verify). The deciding source is Richard Hiltz's first-hand drive report (Montana Overland & 4x4 Adventures, secondary; no trip date given). His page lists "Trail Rating: Class 3.5". He writes, "Most of this trail would be rated at Class 2", but describes "a steep section with large, loose rock" and "a bit of a gatekeeper at the top of the hill (see photos)". He adds: "At least one locker is recommended, though I have seen more than a few stock rigs make it without them." onX (secondary) rates its 2.9-mile Fisher Lake trail 4 and says: "This trail can be done in a full-size rig but a good spotter would be highly recommended for the V notch." An onX report from Aug. 10, 2024 (secondary) says: "The V-notch was not passable for our Teryx, and requires someone with a more capable vehicle, solid skills and a spotter." Supporting only: AGF's ratings for Hiltz's other Class 3.5 trails (Caruthers Lake 6, McCarty Creek 4, Lava Mountain 5, and Hogback Lookout, which the owner set at 5) run 4–6 (median 5); apart from Hogback, none of those AGF numbers is owner-confirmed (source: AGF calibration notes, Oct. 12, 2026, internal). No source mentions a winch. Snow, mud and erosion are condition changes, not part of the rating.

Snow, mud, runoff, deadfall and fire are condition changes, not part of the base rating.

Rig Requirements

Stock 4x4

Yes

High clearance

Required (FS: maintenance level 2, high-clearance road)

Tires

31-inch minimum

Rear locker

Recommended: at least one locker (Hiltz, secondary)

Front locker

Optional; Hiltz recommends at least one locker (secondary)

Winch

Not documented by any source: verify

Full-size

Yes, with a good spotter at the notch (onX, secondary); highway-legal only

Body damage

Moderate risk

Low-range 4WD, high clearance, aired-down all-terrain or mud-terrain tires, a full-size spare, rated recovery points and recovery gear (AGF record). Bring a spotter for the notch (onX, secondary). The stock 4x4, tire and body-damage rows are from AGF's record: verify. Highway-legal vehicles only.

Know Before You Go

Season

No MVUM seasonal date: highway-legal vehicles yearlong (2023 MVUM copy; 2026 MVUM: verify); snow-limited, with over-snow designations Dec. 2–May 15 (FS over-snow map)

Vehicles

Highway-legal only (2023 MVUM copy)

Typical trip

Full day (AGF record estimate)

Camping

Verify; never on private land or at the cabin

Trailer parking

Limited (AGF record); verify

Turnaround

Limited (AGF record)

• Hunting season: Montana's general deer and elk season runs Oct. 24–Nov. 29, 2026 (FWP). Expect hunters, camps and parked vehicles; wear blaze orange outside the vehicle. Archery season runs to Oct. 18. A youth deer hunt runs Oct. 15–16 (FWP).
• Food storage: the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Annual Food Storage Order (02-00-22-02) applies "annually from March 1 to December 1" on National Forest land here, and the order runs "until December 31, 2026 at 24:00 or until rescinded" (B-D Annual Food Storage Order). Store food bear-safe.
• No Beaverhead-Deerlodge alert named Georgetown, Red Lion, Fisher Lake, FS 242 or FS 1592 on Oct. 13, 2026 (fire danger Moderate). Recheck before you go.
• Contacts: Pintler Ranger District (406-859-3211), 88 Business Loop, Philipsburg (2026 MVUM, the right-of-way across the FS 242 parcels, the cabin); Granite County (phone: verify) for the county status of Red Lion Road.