ROMAN NOSE LAKES
The three lakes are the Lower (vehicle accessible, has been rejuvenated with gravel paths, boardwalks and bridges, attracts many people) and Middle and Upper lakes (trail very short so still many people). Swept by fire in 1967, the area has good views of good cirque walls.
Instead, climb Roman Nose Mountain, or hike up Shedroof Divide, Crowell Ridge or Two Mouth Lakes for a better hiking experience.
Difficulty: Easy A1
Elevation gain: 130m (425’)
Key elevations:
Distance: 5km (3.1mi)
Time: 2 hours
Season: July through mid-October
Map: USGS Roman Nose & Bonners Ferry District Travel Map
Drive:
From Creston. BC. Drive Hwy 21 south and enter Idaho at the Rykerts/Porthill border crossing.
0.0. US customs building. Drive south to Bonners Ferry. Turn west of Idaho Hwy 1 into Downtown Bonners Ferry.
From Bonners Ferry. Drive to the intersection of First and Riverside streets, on the north edge of the historic downtown. Set your odometer to 0.0.
0.0. Go west on Riverside St.
.2km (.1mi). Cross railroad tracks. Follow signs for Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge in 5 miles.
.8km (.5mi). Pass the mill.
5.6km (3.5mi). Go right.
5.8km (3.8mi). Go left and cross a bridge.
6.2km (3.8mi). Pass 2 wildlife refuge parking lots in the wetlands.
8.1km (5mi). Go right (north). The road to the left goes to Snow Creek Road.
8.6km 5.3mi). Pass the Wildlife Refuge visitor centre and cross Myrtle Creek bridge.
10.5km (6.5mi). At the junction, go straight (north) on the paved Westside Rd. Myrtle Creek Rd #633 goes left (west).
From Pyramid or Trout Lakes. Follow Trout Creek Road #634 east. Turn right onto Westside Road and drive south 13.5km (8.4mi). Then turn right onto Myrtle Creek Road #633 (note – this road and stop signs at this junction face south and are easy to miss from the north. Reset odometer to 0.
0.0. Go west on Myrtle Creek Road #633.
3.1km (2mi). Go straight. Burton Creek Rd #2411 forks right.
11.6km (7.2mi). Go straight. Road #1309 descends left.
15km (9.3mi). Go straight. Road $2405 forks right.
16.1km (10mi). Just after a descent, cross a bridged creek, then pass a left fork.
16.9km (10.5mi). Go straight. Myrtle Creek Trail #286 is right.
19.1km (11.8mi). Cross a small bridge.
19.6km. Continue driving NE on Road #661. TH for Two Mouth Lakes Trail #268 (1418m 4650’).
21.8km (13.5mi). At the junction, continue NE on Road #661. Right (south) is Upper Myrtle Creek Rd #24 and TH for Harrison Lake Trail #6. Proceed straight on Road #661 to complete a loop via Cooks Pass that’s only 6.4km (4mi) longer than retracing your approach.
24km Go straight. Gated road on the right.
25.5km. Go straight. Subalpine larch become common.
28.1km. Go right through forested Cooks Pass (1680m 5510’). Continue south.
30.3km. Junction at a big curve. Go left.
32.2km. Junction with Snow Creek Rd #402. Left goes to Bonners Ferry. Right goes to Roman Nose Lakes TH. Reset odometer.
0.0. Turn right (SW).
100 metres. Go left on Road #1007. Right is a narrow, brushy fork to Bottleneck and Snow lakes.
.5km. Cross a bridged creek
7.2km (4.5mi). Go straight on the main road. Descend to cross the bridged creek. Pass a gated road on the right. Then ascend gentle switchbacks.
12km (7.4mi). Junction at Ruby Pass. Go right and proceed through clearcut. Straight (SE) on Road #632 goes to Naples in 21km (13mi).
12.8km (7.9mi). Junction with Road #294. Go right on Road #2667.
14.5km (9mi). Overflow parking lot for Roman Nose Lakes.
14.9km (9.2mi). Go right. Left on Road #2667 goes to the campground.
15.4km (9.5mi). Parking and TH (1796m 5890’). Toilet.
Route/Trail: The lowest of the three Roman Nose Lakes is near the TH. To reach the middle and upper lakes, follow the trail NW, cross a bridged creek, proceed on the boardwalk, cross a footbridge, and then ascend.
10 min. Junction. Right goes to an overlook.
40m. Go either way. Left is a scenic loop that ascends above the NW side of the lower lake. Right on Trail #165 is the quickest way to the upper lake. Go through the remains of the 1967 Sundance fire.
1875m (6150’). Junction. Right is Trail #160, .8km to the middle lake (1805m 5921’). The lake is heavily timbered on 3 sides. There is no need to descend. Left on Trail #165 goes to the swampy NW shore of the upper lake on some boardwalk.
Rising on the far shore is Roman Nose Mountain (2213m 7260’). Ascend 325m (1065’) to the lookout tower.
Return Drive
For Bonners Ferry. Return the way you came on Road #1007 generally north, back to the junction of #661 and #402. Reset odometer 0.0.
0.0. Go left (east) on Snow Creek Rd #402.
.8km (.5mi), 1.9km (1.2mi), 6.2km (3.8mi), and 10km (6.2mi). Proceed at all these spur roads on the well-graded Snow Creek Road.
12.9km (8mi). Pass signed TH descending to Snow Creek Falls.
15km (9.3mi). Reach a T-junction with Westside Road. Go left on gravel toward Myrtle Creek Road #633. Right on pavement leads to Naples on Hwy 2/95.
19.3km (12mi). Junction near Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. Go right to Bonners Ferry in about 8km (5mi). Left leads to Myrtle Creek Road #633 in 2.5km (1.6mi).
