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MONTANA 4x4 TRAIL GUIDE · MT-0003

Goose Lake Jeep Trail

New World mining district · Custer Gallatin National Forest · Cooke City, Montana
5/10AGF Difficulty · Moderate
~8 MIOne way to trailhead (secondary)
HIGHShort summer season
USFSGardiner Ranger District
WILDERNESS BOUNDARY: VEHICLES STOP AT THE TRAILHEAD. Goose Lake is inside the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. No motor vehicles or bikes are allowed past the boundary; walk the last stretch. Goose Lake, Round Lake, Lulu Pass and Daisy Pass are separate routes: use only routes shown open for your vehicle on the current MVUM. This is grizzly country, and old mine workings and reclamation sites line the route; stay out of them. Snow can block the route into late July (onX) and returns early. The Beartooth Highway over the pass closes temporarily at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 9, 2026 and is scheduled to close for the season Oct. 12 (NPS); it may not reopen until spring. The Cooke City side of US-212 stays open to wheeled vehicles until about early November (NPS). AGF has not confirmed the Goose Lake road's vehicle class or season dates on the 2026 MVUM: call the Gardiner Ranger District (406-848-7375) and read Know Before You Go.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS

Cooke City to the Goose Lake Trailhead

From US-212 east of Cooke City up the Goose Lake road past Mud, Round, Long and Star lakes to the trailhead at the wilderness boundary, about 8 miles one way (secondary sources). AGF's 2017 two-day track logged 30.4 miles including side trips.

NOT INCLUDED: the Round Lake spur, Lulu Pass, Daisy Pass and Fisher Creek (separate routes), and anything inside the wilderness.
WHY 5/10

Moderate · Rock Near the Top

AGF rates a trail by its hardest unavoidable obstacle in normal dry conditions. Notes from AGF's 2017 run describe moderately technical rock that gets harder near Goose Lake, with boulders calling for at least a 2-inch lift and 32-inch tires. The last mile, from Star Lake to the trailhead, is reported as the roughest (forum reports). This rating is provisional until the current legal route is confirmed.

Terrain scores (rock, mud, water, exposure, snow, pinstriping) are not rated yet for this trail.

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

ROUTE & MAP

Getting There

Secondary sources: from Cooke City, drive east on US-212 about 2–3 miles, just short of Colter Pass, and turn north onto the Goose Lake road (FS 3230; verify). The first couple of miles were rebuilt for mine reclamation; the rest is rough 4x4 to the Goose Lake trailhead, about 8 miles from the highway. Mileage, junctions and road numbers are not confirmed: check them on the 2026 Absaroka Beartooth East MVUM.

LOADING MAP…
Custer Gallatin alerts →Yellowstone road status →ROUTE FILE: not published yet

The pin is an unverified point from AGF's trail record, southwest of Goose Lake. It is not the trailhead and not a drive-to point; vehicles stop at the wilderness boundary. No downloadable track is published.

VEHICLE FIT

Rig Requirements

Stock 4x4
No
High clearance
Yes
Tires
32+ inch
Rear locker
Unknown
Front locker
Unknown
Winch
Recommended
Full-size
Unknown
Body damage
Moderate risk

Notes from AGF's 2017 run: at least a 2-inch lift and 32-inch tires, sliders and differential guards, more armor helpful, a spotter at times, and no solo travel. Guidance for full-size and long-wheelbase rigs is still pending.

TRIP PLANNING

Know Before You Go

Season
Short high-elevation summer season; verify current dates
Typical trip
Full day or overnight
Camping
Only where the MVUM shows dispersed camping, or at marked sites
Trailer parking
Unknown
Turnaround
Limited
  • Food storage order 01-11-00-23-02 applies on the Gardiner Ranger District, Mar. 1–Dec. 1.
  • Do not drink untreated water from mine-affected drainages.
  • The Forest Service bought the district's last privately held mining claims at Daisy Creek in 2023 (Explore Big Sky), but do not assume all land is public; obey posted signs.
  • High elevation: lingering snowfields, sudden storms, lightning and few turnarounds.
SOURCES

Sources & Review

Last reviewed Oct. 8, 2026. No route closure found; AGF expects snow to limit the route for the rest of 2026 (not confirmed). AGF last drove it on July 27, 2019.

AGF ratings describe normal, dry-condition difficulty. They do not mean a route is legal, open or passable today. Spot something out of date? Use the Contact page.