GOAT LAKE VIA IRON CREEK TRAIL: BEST DAY HIKE IN THE SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN RANGE, NEAR STANLEY, IDAHO

Goat Lake ranks high for best day hike in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountain Range. The Iron Creek Trailhead is just minutes from the entertaining mountain town of Stanley. Its stunning turquoise waters and massive hanging peaks make this all day adventure well worth the ascent of boulder hopping to find this gem. At eight to nine miles with an elevation gain of nearly 2,000 feet this day hike is one of the shortest you will find for such outstanding views in the Sawtooths. Be sure to start early as this trailhead is also the start of popular Sawtooth Lake Trail. Personally one of my favorite hikes I have ever done. Big hike but big payoffs throughout!
More Sawtooth Mountain videos links below👇🏼
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Follow along on Instagram as well! Feel free to ask any questions through the comment section of any video or message me directly on Instagram.
Matt
#goatlake #hiking #idaho #sawtoothmountains #stanleyidaho

[@TheMountainMatt]

If you like big peaks and incredible vistas check out this video here 👉🏼 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGTdqHhmaL2saqs

[@jerry3579]

Incredible!! Thanks SO much for the upload. I'll never get there, so I can't thank you enough for bringing me to them virtually.

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thank you Jerry! I’m so glad you’re watching 😁👍🏼 you’re part of the reason I make these videos… stay tuned 😁

[@jerry3579]

@@TheMountainMatt NEW SUB, and the notification bell has been activated too 😊. Besides your fascinating coverage of this land of beauty, your video equipment produces some of the most stunning quality I've seen.

[@TheMountainMatt]

@@jerry3579 I give all the credit to Emily 😁… she’s the one who lets me buy and do all this stuff 😉, thanks!

[@granthaller9544]

When I see a family like yours I have faith in the future.

[@TheMountainMatt]

Wow! Probably the nicest comment ever 😁, thanks!

[@AdiusOmega]

I love living in the Sun Valley area I've hiked to so many amazing places in the past my favorite being Kane Lake. I've never been to Goat Lake before but it looks spectacular!

[@TheMountainMatt]

You’re living my dream 😁! Definitely make the trip up to Stanley and tackle Goat Lake. It’s in my top 5 favorite alpine lakes I’ve been to so far. It will blow your mind 🤯🤯🤯!

[@JayDubb3BCT]

Mrs. Mountain Matt is my spirit animal! Remember to treat your farm animals right! 😂😂 Another great episode Matt!

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks Jay! I’m sure glad I wrapped up Emily before she knew what was good for her😉

[@jasontaylor3160]

Great video Matt! Great to meet you yesterday. Thanks for the Teton recommendations.

[@TheMountainMatt]

Hey Jason! Sorry for the late response. Been a long two days. 14 miles and 5,000 feet of elevation the day we saw you and then 26.2 miles and 4,400 feet today to Ice Floe Lake. Longest two days ever but best views I think I’ve ever seen😳! Keep bugging your kids to come with ya👍🏼! Good to meet you!

[@martinjdesmond]

I am impressed with your family hiking up with you. We took our 6 and 9 year old grandkids hiking a steep 9 mile round trip to Grinnell Glacier in Glacier NP. Good way to bring up the next generation.

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks 😊! Gotta teach them when they’re young before they understand how hard it actually is 🤣😂. I just released a Glacier video today that you might enjoy watching. If you like Glacier you’ll enjoy the next few coming out over the next couple months 👍🏼😁. Hopefully you have plans this summer again with your grandkids 😊 not much better than that!

[@martinjdesmond]

@@TheMountainMatt Hi Matt. I will definitely check out your Glacier videos. My grandkids are hauling me out to North Cascades NP this summer to take me on a couple of "death marches!"

[@TheMountainMatt]

@@martinjdesmond North Cascades are high on my list! It’s either the Tetons again in September or North Cascades. The boss loves Jackson Hole but I’m trying to convince her to go to Washington. I love that “death marches” 🤣😂.

[@LiliEssFlyandSmile]

Absolutely gorgeous footage, nature and music 🎶 I’m amazed

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks Lili! All I had to do is point the camera and hit record on that hike😳😁

[@eliwilliams4686]

I just subscribed man, if you keep up this video quality your channel is going to blow up in the next year or two!

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks for the great comment! Got a bunch a vids in the hopper😁👍🏼. I truly appreciate that! Labor of love. I’m glad you’re on board!

[@TheWasatchGearReview]

Love that area! Well edited! Thanks Matt!

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks!

[@SlonesWildernessExpeditions]

Another amazing hike with huge views! I think I could spend an entire vacation in the Sawtooths and have everything I need. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheMountainMatt]

There’s something about the Sawtooths 😁👍🏼

[@JerryArizona]

Great vid as usual. I’m so behind on your vids. But that just means a backlog without having to wait for the next one.

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks Jerry. I appreciate it! Unfortunately with kids, work and life I can’t get videos uploaded as fast as I would like 😂.

[@BluegrassBackcountry]

Yet another gorgeous lake!! I bet that water was supremely refreshing after a hot day of climbing up the mountain! Great video, Matt!

[@TheMountainMatt]

I was a wuss 🙋🏼‍♂️, I gotta make myself jump in every lake that looks like that😳. Thanks Sam!

[@OurNationalAdventure]

Great video. Loved the build up to the hike! Sucha. Beautiful area! Loved the waterfall towards the end.

[@TheMountainMatt]

Most beautiful color blue I think I’ve ever seen from a lake before😳 Idahome😁

[@SoundtrackVillains]

Another amazing video. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks for watching!

[@suepete]

Breathtaking scenery! Great video!

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks! One of my favorite hikes ever... definitely headed back sometime to hike the peak above Goat Lake with just the boys .

[@KathysOutdoorAdventures]

Another great video and trail. Some of that was pretty steep but well worth the views of the falls.

[@TheMountainMatt]

Kathy, that was probably (next to Delta Lake) the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen😳. Some route finding to get there but steep at parts at the end. A place for you to visit this summer maybe 😁👍🏼

[@ColemanOutdoors]

Beautiful!! And yep...those GTX4's are great. Made for a foot that's no longer growing.😋 Great video!!!

[@TheMountainMatt]

👍🏼 new boots for my girls every spring... getting expensive with a Mom with expensive taste😉

[@Harish08-v1l]

Wow curating my bucket list

[@TheMountainMatt]

👍🏼 I know right 😁! My list keeps getting longer and longer as well. Can’t wait to release the next 10 or so adventures! Cheers!

[@CowboyJojosAdventures]

WoW! What a beautiful hike Matt. By the way, You are never too old for this! 🤣Beautiful waterfalls. The views are breathtaking. How blue is that lake. Great drone footage. That water would have been freezing! Awesome adventure. Thank you for taking us along. Have a great day Matt.

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thank you! One of the best alpine lakes I’ve ever seen😳.... we’ll keep hiking till we can’t hike no more💪🏼😁

[@mikecrawford7352]

Beautiful country. It’s been 30+ years since I hiked the sawtooths. Starting in Atlanta we hiked into legit lake over to Ross fork lakes made our own trail around Ross peak into a different goat lake hiked by bass lakes and up and around two point mountain and down to Perkons lake. We followed the drainage down to a river camped along the river (don’t remember which one) hiked a trail from there that turned into a dirt road out to our ride. 6 days and 50 miles. Did that hike twice as a boy scout.

[@TheMountainMatt]

Dang! Sounds like the ultimate adventure! Those mountains are so special! Can't wait to go back someday! Hopefully you can make it back out there someday.

[@mikecrawford7352]

@@TheMountainMatt I would absolutely love to. Not sure why I haven’t over the years. I live just a couple hours away from the western side. I am definitely not in shape like I was back then

[@TheMountainMatt]

I think the Sawtooths are calling your name again 😃 👍🏼

[@UpNorthAdventures]

Name change seems appropriate since so much of your content is outside of Mn. I have the Solomon quest gtx as well. I beat the hell out of them and there still holding strong. Best boots ever! Excellent video👍

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks! I think it was about time for a change 😉. When my La Sportiva's are done for I'm going back to the GTX's!

[@StepsbyKaatje]

Beautiful hike! 😁 Amazing views! Great share! ATB

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thank you 🙏🏼!

[@ConsidertheWonders]

Another gorgeous hike my friend 🤙. Keep treating those farms animals well 😂

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks! They get so expensive the older they get😁... good luck with yours😉

[@davidjacobs6184]

Looks amazing

[@TheMountainMatt]

Tis

[@forbiddenair]

goat lake probably my fav hike in that range. gotta get in and refresh! lucky man indeed. i’ve got all boys but same kinda crew. great vid. well done!

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks Boyd! Train them while they’re young and still want to hang with us right😉 , can’t wait to get back to Idaho someday! Thompson Peak is calling my name 👍🏼

[@forbiddenair]

@@TheMountainMatt where is home for you? i’ve been obsessed with the outdoors my whole life because of my dad and now i train and move every day in order to not be a sideline dad. participating with them instead of watching is the best. they love it. as i know you know.

[@TheMountainMatt]

@@forbiddenair born and raised in Minnesota. Emily and I are trying are best to convince the girls to move out west🤞🏼...

[@forbiddenair]

@@TheMountainMatt it appears as though you are trying! river life is the other golden gem of idaho. doing all your “hiking” from a raft or paddle board and sleeping by a fire on a beach changes people.

[@TheMountainMatt]

@@forbiddenair sounds like paradise my friend 👍🏼 Idahome😁

[@kendiamond85]

Great narration skills beautiful scenery I’m wondering do you have any videos with it snow on the sawtooth

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thank you. Unfortunately I don’t have any videos with snow on the Sawtooths. We were there in August and I had been very hot that summer.

[@mitzilickliter3879]

Awesome!!

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks, it’s a special area!

[@larryferro8153]

Hey Matt, wonderful video. At the four minute mark, you look like your at a place a group might camp for the night. I'm taking a few people new to backpacking to Goat Lake. Don't want to wear them out. Any thoughts on if this area would be ok to pitch a tent?

[@TheMountainMatt]

I can't remember if that specific area allows for camping or not but there are plenty of spots at and around the lake. If at all possible try to push to the lake as early as you can. That lake is getting popular. I hope that helps a little, it's been a good 3 years since I hiked through that spot. I believe it's 4 miles there and around 1,800 feet, so not to tough of a day. You will love that lake! One of the most beautiful I've ever seen! Have a blast!

[@microwavek]

Do you know if you can camp up there overnight? Amazing scenery

[@TheMountainMatt]

Yes, plenty of camping spots. Probably need a backcountry permit though.

[@hidaven]

Subscribed. heading to this hike in August. Any worries about bear or Mountain lions? If the trail is a little crowded its not a bad thing as the bear has more to choose from. I'll have my fife and 12 year old boy with me and a 10mm and bear spray just in case : (((( Oh, is this 8-9 miles roundtrip or one way? Has to be RT., lol. Enjoy every second with your wife and children (in the moment) It goes fast and once they get older, all we have as parents are these videos and our memories. : )

[@TheMountainMatt]

You will love this hike! It’s 8-9 total, start early to beat any crowds and get a good spot on the lake to hang out. You can hike all the way to the other side towards the waterfall if you want. We were there in August a couple years ago now and didn’t see any signs of bear or elk unfortunately. For how busy that area is I think you’ll only need bear spray, if that at all. That time I’d the year the bear and elk will probably be higher because of the heat. Enjoy! Let me know how it goes👍🏼! Hopefully you get many more years hiking with your loved ones, it flies by!

[@jarvisvannorman2933]

What month do you suggest going in? Thanks always for your great content.

[@TheMountainMatt]

July is ideal because you’ll have beautiful snow runoff out of the mountains but it will be busy. August will be busy as well and the snow will be mostly to almost gone. June will probably be quiet but you’ll probably be dealing with snow in places. I personally prefer mid to late September as the heat isn’t as bad, the leaves are turning and it’s MUCH less busy. If you’re thinking July or August I’d book VRBO/AirBNBs now because there’s not a lot in Stanley. Then you’ll have the first pick of rentals. Hope that helps 😁👍🏼

[@ifrei4863]

Great I like your power Thanks Respekt

[@TheMountainMatt]

Thanks 🙏🏼!

[@ascentmedia]

Nice video and looks like an awesome hike. Curious, while you were up around Goat were there places that would fit a tent or two? I've heard varying reports.

[@TheMountainMatt]

Yes, there are plenty of good spots👍🏻, it is a popular area but harder to get to so the earlier the better. It is gorgeous up there. You could continue up the pass and find a spot there as well.

[@ascentmedia]

@@TheMountainMatt Thank you so much! We'll be on an 8 day trip with Goat in the middle of the week, so figure with an early start things should be good *fingers crossed*

[@TheMountainMatt]

@@ascentmedia if you have time go for Merritt Peak which sits high above Goat Lake. It is accessible from the waterfall side and could be doable in addition to Goat or early the next morning.

[@The800Dragon]

Nice video, thanks. I plan on a solo trip up there for my 65th birthday this July. In one video of Goat Lake they mentioned not to go up the bolder field. Is that what you guys did? It sounds like there is an easier route but I'm not sure about that just yet. I have the all trails map on my phone and this will be my first time using that.

[@TheMountainMatt]

All trails is 95% great 👍🏼 I personally like boulder hopping and scree fields but if you stay close to the waterfall when you come up the canyon you should stay out of the rocks. Basically try to stay in the trees once you see the falls. I used a downloaded map off the AllTrails app and it was good to go. Feel free to contact me if you need any more questions answered. Hopefully that helps 😁👍🏼

[@The800Dragon]

@@TheMountainMatt Yes your reply does help! And thank you!! Other lakes I am interested are Alice, Toxaway, Edith, Twin Lakes, Bench, Sawtooth. Alpine, and maybe Cramer. I am now just trying to figure a plan, but I am not all that skilled in the technology of today. I have about six weeks to get my act together.

[@TheMountainMatt]

@@The800Dragon plenty of time 👍🏼

[@mikefoster5985]

About what day and month of the year did you guys film this video to Goat Lake? I was trying to determine if there will be some snow patches left when we are there in early August.

[@TheMountainMatt]

That was the first week in August. It gets hot there in summer, unfortunately we didn’t see any snow then.

[@mikefoster5985]

At 8:50 on the video, you see very large patches of snow across Goat Lake.

[@TheMountainMatt]

@@mikefoster5985 there will be some in north facing shadow areas but none that you’ll have to worry about crossing.

[@cameronclifft5313]

What kind of cameras and drone do you use?

[@TheMountainMatt]

I had just got the GH5 and a couple nice lenses when we were there a couple years ago. Finally really getting used to using all the features and capabilities of it! It took a lot of research and trial and error. I also use a Mavic Air, which I may upgrade someday soon in order to get a bigger camera sensor for my drone shots. I’ve finally trained Dalton, Emily and the girls to use the GoPros when we’re up on peaks and I can’t get enough shots. It’s been a process 😂🤣😁.

[@cameronclifft5313]

@@TheMountainMatt thank you for responding! I really enjoy your videos. By the way, i do a lot of nature photography, so if you happen to be on Instagram check out my photos sometime if ya want. It’s @cambirdseye

[@TheMountainMatt]

@@cameronclifft5313 👍🏼

[@OffroadTreks]

What camera you running this whole time?

[@TheMountainMatt]

GH5 with native Lumix lenses

[@OffroadTreks]

​@@TheMountainMatt really. Ok. Was thinking maybe a Sony. Cool.

[@TheMountainMatt]

@@OffroadTreks it was between Sony and Panasonic but I went with the GH5 because of stab, price and size. I’m happy with it.

[@airx2222]

When you say 8-9 miles is that one way or round trip ?? thx

[@TheMountainMatt]

That's out and back 👍🏼.

[@airx2222]

We'll be in Stanley at the end of June ,thanks to you and your videos we definitely plan on doing some of those hikes. Can not wait !! @@TheMountainMatt

[@TheMountainMatt]

I'm so glad the vids are helping you! Heads up, there might still be a lot of snow up high in June. That might be a little tricky with route finding as you get towards the lakes. You probably will see footprints in the snow that should help. They've had a TON of snow this winter again so be prepared for that. Checkout the AllTrails app it's great! I use it on all our adventures. You can download a route in your phone that will help with route finding if the snow is an issue. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions. Have a great time! The Sawtooths are incredible and Stanley is so cool! Cheers!

[@airx2222]

Thanks for the heads up on the snow and solid advice on the app. Will definitely check that out. We have a long trip planned with stops in Twin Falls, Stanley, Salmon and finally Bozeman. Any tips or suggestions would be much appreciated. @@TheMountainMatt

[@TheMountainMatt]

Definitely try to swing into Sun Valley/Ketchum area since you’re in the area 👍🏼

[@Drew-lu4vn]

Hey, Matt. I am headed to this area in May and had a question to help plan my week. What is the "easier" of the 2 hikes....Goat Lake vs. Sawtooth lake? Thanks for any info!

[@TheMountainMatt]

You will love it! Goat Lake has some scrambling at the end with some route finding. There will probably be a lot of snow up high so it might be hard to find your way. Sawtooth has a trail all the way to the lake, with snow it would be a little easier to find. I’d bet that you’ll have some footprints to each to help find your way. To me, Goat Lake is more beautiful but harder to get to. In May Sawtooth Lake would be much easier. I’d choose Sawtooth in May and keep Goat for another time when you know for sure that you’ll get there. I hope that helps👍🏼😁.

[@Drew-lu4vn]

@@TheMountainMatt You know, being the amateur I am, I didn't even think about the snow! Wonder how much of an issue that would be.

[@TheMountainMatt]

@@Drew-lu4vn you seem adventuress 👍🏼 maybe invest in some gaiters and spikes and you’ll be good. Goat lake has some steep areas so if there’s snow I’d go for Sawtooth instead. Let me know how much snow there is when you go I’d love to know👍🏼

[@TheMountainMatt]

Had some errors in that message, I corrected it a tad. Hopefully it makes sense now😂

[@Drew-lu4vn]

Switched my trip from May to September! Figured the weather would be a bit better. It can't come soon enough!

[@idahofisherman100]

Was Goat Lake also called White Goat Lake?

[@TheMountainMatt]

Not sure 🤔 I have heard that before. I talked with a guy that grew up in the area and he never mentioned that… could be though.

[@idahofisherman100]

@@TheMountainMatt I found them. Goat Lake is Southwest of Challis and White Goat Lake is North by Northwest of Challis. I trail motorcycled to White Goat Lake in the 1970s. It was very challenging going in. Beautiful country.

[@TheMountainMatt]

@@idahofisherman100 nice! I do recall there being a couple Goat Lakes in Idaho. We’re looking at moving out towards Idaho Falls someday 👍🏼