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Alpine Lake Float and Guided Hike in the Bitterroot Mountains
5.0
54 Ratings
Darby
Embark on a one-of-a-kind adventure in the Bitterroot Mountains with a hike and packraft float. Explore rugged trails, glacial canyons, and alpine lakes with an experienced guide.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Coyote Coulee Trailhead - Embark on a beautiful day hike and float on a serene alpine lake! Hike with a local expert guide up a glacially carved canyon of the Bitterroot Mountains to a high elevation backcountry lake. Along the way, your guide will identify local plants and animals and talk about the natural history of the Bitterroot! Once you reach the lake, you’ll paddle around in inflatable packrafts as you take in the incredible scenery. Your guide will also make you fresh tea or coffee for you to enjoy while you float, all while leaving no trace! Then, you’ll pack up and head back to the trailhead the same way you hiked up.
Packrafts, backpacks, trekking poles, bear spray, and safety equipment rentals are included in the price. One packraft setup (packraft, paddle, life vest) for each adult or youth ticket. Your guide carries two packraft setups and the rest are carried by other adults.
Trail Mix, Beef and Vegan Jerky, and Cliff/Lara/Granola Bars are given to you in your snack bag!
Your guide will also carry a water filter, first aid kit, Garmin GPS communicator, and other basic tools needed for an outing in the backcountry.
Hikes are around 6 - 8 mi with significant elevation gain (> 1000 ft).
What's Included
- Provided bear spray for safety
- Lunch included
- Guide-equipped with GPS communicator and first aid kit
- Trekking poles available
- Packraft, paddle, and life vest provided per adult
- Backpacks supplied
- Snacks provided
What's Not Included
- Clothing / Hiking Clothing
- Hiking Shoes
- Sunscreen
- Raincoat! (Please bring this NO MATTER THE FORECAST)
Additional Information
The Bitterroot National Forest boasts striking beauty and harsh terrain, with breathtaking peaks and profound glacial valleys. Its tracks may not always be in the best condition, and transient streams can impede those unaccustomed to fjord traverses. A tour guide’s assistance will undoubtedly be appreciated!
The distinct experience of hiking and packrafting is exclusively offered by Bitterroot Backpacking. No competing guides or firms deliver this unique service! (And if they do, they likely borrowed the concept from here!)
- Anyone in general good health can complete one of these trips. Please inquire before booking!
Location
Coyote Coulee Trailhead
Lost Horse Road
There are two trailhead options. Default is Coyote Coulee Trailhead. We will then caravan up the mountain to the Camas Creek Trailhead. Contact Bitterroot Backpacking for other trail options! Please drive slowly and cautiously down dirt roads!
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(54 Ratings)
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Michelle_r
Aug 20, 2024
Family Hike and Float at Camas Lake - Our family of four thoroughly enjoyed our 6-mile roundtrip hike to Camas Lake and back. The hike was not an extremely difficult one, but enough of a challenge to make us enjoy the relaxing Pack Raft float on the lake … absolutely beautiful! We cannot say enough positive things about our guide Luke! Great communication prior to, during, and after the hike. Knowledgeable about the hiking, history, vegetation, and Bitterroot area. We really enjoyed the information Luke provided. He taught us about the edible berries along the way which was a special treat! On our way down we encountered a thunderstorm with rain and small hail. Luke navigated us perfectly and that will be one of our most fun memories. Mother Nature provided us with beauty and Luke’s way of responsibly and ethically showing us around the mountains was so appreciated! If you are thinking of a backpacking, hiking, floating, any type of an outdoor adventure in the Bitterroot area, we would highly recommend Luke and Bitterroot Backpacking!
Review provided by Viator
2iatravelers
Aug 19, 2024
Family Hike and Alpine Float - Our family of four thoroughly enjoyed our 6-mile roundtrip hike to Camas Lake and back. The hike was not an extremely difficult one, but enough of a challenge to make us enjoy the relaxing Pack Raft float on the lake … absolutely beautiful! We cannot say enough positive things about our guide Luke! Great communication prior to, during, and after the hike. Knowledgeable about the hiking, history, vegetation, and Bitterroot area. We really enjoyed the information Luke provided. He taught us about the edible berries along the way which was a special treat! On our way down we encountered a thunderstorm with rain and small hail. Luke navigated us perfectly and that will be one of our most fun memories. Mother Nature provided us with beauty and Luke’s way of responsibly and ethically showing us around the mountains was so appreciated! If you are thinking of a backing packing, hiking, floating, any type of an outdoor adventure in the Bitterroot area, we would highly recommend Luke and Bitterroot Backpacking!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sumfro
Aug 10, 2024
Twin Lakes float and Hike - What a wonderful day trip with Luke! The views are just incredible. However Luke really is what makes the trip great. He has an amazing personality and brings all the things you could ever need for a day trip. From the variety of snacks and beverages to the bug and bear spray and even offers to carry it all! Communication was great with him too as we were planning a custom trip. Hands down you wont be disappointed with any trip you plan with Luke. I hope one day soon we can make it back and Luke is still around the area to take us on another adventure!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
44bevp
Aug 6, 2024
Bitterroot Mountains - This is a hidden gem in the Bitterroot Mountains with a gorgeous guided hike and peaceful raft float. Luke did an amazing job. Check him out at [email protected]
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V117yfemilyl
Aug 1, 2024
Highly Recommend This Amazing Experience! - Going on this hike with Luke was absolutely incredible — I cannot recommend this experience enough! He takes care of everything, teaches you so much along the way, and gives you a magical memory. The hike itself was so beautiful, but the floating is something you’ll never forget!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jonasp148
Jul 30, 2024
Highly reccomend this trip to all! - What a fantastic experience! Luke has got this down perfectly. A beautiful hike and float on the lake. A Great day trip for family friends etc.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heathersd1081ai
Jul 29, 2024
Bitterroot hike and lake float. - Luke was a very professional guide. We were going to be in the Bitterroot Valley and wanted a unique experience. We found that in Luke's alpine hike and packraft float. Luke is very personable and knowledgeable about hiking and the area in general. There was so much to see, and the lake float was amazing! Highly recommend this little adventure for anyone looking to see a tiny bit of the backcountry.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Guide65106667429
Jul 27, 2024
Montana adventure so cool - Amazing experience! We did a 2 night backpacking trip in the wilderness, followed by a 1 night overnight trip where we pack rafted to and island and stayed there for the night. I was really happy with Luke accommodating vegan food and we had some amazing homemade meals including curry, quesadillas and vegan hamburger helper!
The gear Luke provided was also great. The one night it rained but we stayed dry! He was also really knowledgeable about local plants and geology of the area which was a really cool bonus for the trip.
Would do again! Thanks Luke!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lynne_l
Jul 24, 2024
A Must Do! - “Luke was a great guide for a great adventure! The hike to the lake is a moderate 3 mile hike with great views made more enjoyable by Luke knowledge of the plants, geology and features of the hike. Kayaking on the picturesque lake was made more fun by paddling near a beaver in the water. Thank you , Luke, for your hard work, patience, good nature and provision of snacks enabling us to have a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable experience, we would definitely do this again!
Review provided by Viator
Christine_n
Jul 11, 2024
The best hike - Hiking Luke from Bitterroot Backpacking was awesome. Our meetup spot was easy to find and parking at the trailhead on a weekday was no hassle. We were the only cars in the area.
Luke carried almost all of the gear needed for our hike and more (bear spray, water filter, delicious snacks he bought for us, tea and coffee, packrafts, paddles, life vests, extra sunscreen..), made sure we hydrated and ate properly on a hot 90°+ day, set a pace that was perfect for the group, and kept the conversation fun and informative. We carried our own swimsuits and water shoes to change into at the lake, and our own sunscreen and bug spray. I am usually a good 10 paces behind my ultra quick husband, but thanks to Luke I wasn’t left behind, and we all definitely took in some sights and sounds of nature. Luke shared info about the area plants, birds, animals, and geologic formation on our way up to Camas Lake.
When we got to the lake Luke inflated the packrafts and we were floating quickly. Loved the calm cool water, jumping trout, and osprey overhead. Luke made us tea and coffee from shore, which were a pleasant extra treat during our float. The half day was so wonderful, made me sad to be leaving Montana for home. We will definitely be checking what Bitterroot Backpacking has on our next visit to big sky country!
Review provided by Viator
