The Lily Lake camping area is a partially developed campground at 7,670 ft on the shore of Lily Lake. Although it is officially classified as dispersed camping, Lily Lake has 5 sites with picnic tables, three shared steel bear-proof food boxes, and a vault toilet. There is no water and no steel fire rings.
| Lily Lake Camping Area | |
|---|---|
| Season | Late May – September |
| Number of sites | 5 – 8 sites |
| Reservations | No |
| Amenities | Vault Toilet, Picnic tables, Shared food storage boxes |
| Accessible | No |
| Firewood | No |
| Attractions | Lake fishing & boating |
| Nearest City | Cooke City – 16 miles |
The Lily Lake camping area is located at the end of Forest Road 128 (FR128) which runs north from the Beartooth Highway (US 212). FR 128 intersects US 212 15 miles east of Cooke City, MT. If you are coming via the Chief Joseph Highway (WY 296) FR128 is less than a mile east of the US 212 & WY 296 intersection. The access road is about a mile and is usable by most vehicles. Recommend vehicle length is 22ft. There are reports that it can be difficult to turn around with some towing units.
Lily Lake is in Wyoming and is administered by the Clark’s Fork Ranger District of the Shoshone National Forest. There is no fee for camping but donations are accepted. There is no reservation system so there is no way to know if there are available sites without going there. As with most campgrounds on the Beartooth Highway, it’s best to arrive early in the day to make sure you can secure a site.
If there are no available sites at Lily Lake the Lake Creek Campground is quite close and there are many other options. Check our complete guide to Camping and Campgrounds on the Beartooth Highway.
Fishing & Boating at Lily Lake
There is a primitive boat ramp on Lily Lake but don’t expect an easy launch. The lake is really best suited to hand-launched boats. Measuring about 50 acres the lake has a maximum depth of 50 ft. Canoeing and kayaking are delightful activities on this picturesque lake. If you plan to boat you must have a WY Aquatic invasive species inspection and an Aquatic Invasive Species Decal on your watercraft.
The lake gets it’s name from the many flowering water lilies that cover sections of the shoreline when the hot summer days warm the waters. Fishing from shore can be quite difficult and at times it is only practical to fish from a boat.
The lake has good populations of rainbow trout along with arctic grayling. In Fishing the Beartooths Pat Marcuson reports the lake also hold cutthroat and brook trout and, historically, cutthroat and golden trout. Fishing is reported to be good at times so be sure to give it a try if you have time.
For more information about the Lake Creek Campground contact:
Clarks Fork Ranger District
Shoshone National Forest
203 A Yellowstone Ave
Cody, WY 82414
307-527-6921
