Odessa Lake Trail

Among the most popular hikes in the park is the hike to Odessa Lake, from which many people continue to Fern Lake and then to prearranged transportation at Moraine Park (see Fern Lake Trail System in the Moraine Park chapter). From Bear Lake you travel uphill on the Flattop Trail for 0.9 mile to the trail junction. The left-hand fork goes to Flattop Mountain (see page 101); take the right-hand fork. The path now is easy and level. After a short, moderately steep climb at Bear Lake, the trail has only a slight up or down grade until it reaches Odessa Gorge, about 3.0 miles from Bear. Hikers can take a very short side trip on an informal track to Lake Helene at the head of the gorge, east of Notchtop Mountain, and then retrace their steps to the main trail.

The Odessa Lake Trail now slants down the valley wall with views of Grace Falls hanging across the gorge on the opposite wall. Crossing snowbanks (until mid-July), the path passes below Odessa Lake and eventually arrives at a trail junction. The trail straight ahead goes to Fern Lake (see the Moraine Park chapter). The Odessa Trail makes a switchback left turn and crosses Fern Creek, then heads upstream along a narrow gorge to reach Odessa Lake. The outlet is the best spot for photos. The most dramatic peaks rising above Odessa Lake are Notchtop Mountain and the Little Matterhorn. Notchtop can be climbed from Flattop Mountain (see page 101).

One route up the Little Matterhorn begins from a trail that follows the west shore of Odessa. Leave the trail at the spot where a stream flows into the lake, about a quarter of the lake’s length from the outlet. Head upstream, picking whatever route seems easiest through dense forest, into Tourmaline Gorge. Past tree line on the open tundra is Tourmaline Lake. Stay south of the lake and climb the steep slope to the top of the Little Matterhorn ridge. As you may have noticed while hiking to Odessa Lake, the Little Matterhorn really is a sharp ridge extending east from the Continental Divide at Knobtop.

Some climbers reach the ridgetop from Lake Helene by traversing the bases of Notchtop and Knobtop west of Grace Falls. From the south base of the Little Matterhorn ridge, climb straight up to the ridgetop. This route eliminates the loss in elevation between Lakes Helene and Odessa.

To reach the summit of the Little Matterhorn, follow the top of the ridge eastward, keeping to the left (north) side. There are a couple of places that are easy to traverse but very exposed to long drops. The final 4 feet to the tiny summit is extremely exposed, so some folks are content not to stand on the very top.

Overall, the hike up the Little Matterhorn is short, thrilling, beautiful, and not particularly difficult. But it is also steep and windy, and climbers have been killed on the way.