Kootenai National Forest · Montana

Wanless Lake

7.4 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 924 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 24-36 inches wide · hiking, horse

#924 Wanless Lake Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

This Cabinet Mountains Wilderness trail leads to Wanless Lake Basin. From the wilderness boundary, the trail drops down into the basin passing Upper Wanless Lakes #1, 2, 3, and 4 and ending at Wanless Lake. Spectacular views of mountain peaks can be seen from many locations along the trail. Dispersed campsites can be found at Upper Wanless Lakes #1 and #3 and at Wanless Lake. Be advised stock use is not allowed past Upper Wanless Lake #4.

The trail crosses McKay Creek approximately .25 miles from the trailhead. There is a constructed bridge for foot traffic. Stock users may encounter difficulty crossing during high runoff.

Wanless Lake Trail #924

Restrictions <ul><li>No motorized or mechanized vehicles.&nbsp;</li><li>Stock use is not allowed past Upper Wanless Lake #4.&nbsp;</li><li>Cabinet Mountains Wilderness has limits&nbsp;on the number of persons and stock when traveling in parties. Included is a list of all &nbsp;<a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5413129.pdf">prohibited acts</a>. You can learn more about wilderness by visiting <a href="http://www.wilderness.net/">Wilderness.net</a></li><li>Properly possess and store all food, refuse, and other attractants pursuant to Kootenai National Forest <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd534160.pdf">Food Storage Order </a>(CFR 261.58 (cc)).</li><li>Please practice Pack-in-Pack-out and Leave-No-Trace ethics.</li></ul>

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Kootenai National Forest

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About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.