Cobalt Lake

Starting from the Two Medicine area's South Shore Trailhead, you'll warm up with a relatively mellow stretch along the south edge of Two Medicine Lake before the trail reveals its true intentions. Once you leave the lakeshore behind and begin climbing toward the hanging valley, the switchbacks get serious — nearly 1,400 feet of elevation gain that will have your quads filing a formal complaint. The forest thins as you ascend, opening up to subalpine meadows that explode with wildflowers in late July. The payoff is a glacially carved cirque lake sitting in a dramatic rocky bowl, its water an almost unreal shade of blue-green that justifies the name. On a still morning, the surrounding cliffs reflect perfectly off the surface. This trail rewards hikers who don't mind earning their views the hard way and prefer destinations over drive-up overlooks.