Quick facts
- Difficulty
- Variable
- Distance
- Varies by approach
- Elevation gain
- Varies
- Season
- Summer only
- Managed by
- CSKT
- Permit
- Required · Permits guide
- Access road
- Gravel; conditions vary
Permit notes: CSKT Conservation License required. Sold at CSKT Natural Resources and selected vendors. Verify with CSKT before going.
Cultural & visitor copy in review with CSKT contributors. The practical details below (location, permit, authority) are verified; the fuller story waits until it can be written with CSKT contributors.
McDonald Lake is a glacier-carved lake set into the Mission Mountain front east of Ronan. The lake and surrounding land are CSKT-administered, and a current CSKT Conservation License is required for access.
Permit categories, allowable activities, and access points have varied over the years. Verify current rules with the CSKT Natural Resources Department before going.
Where you are: the lake sits at the wilderness edge, inside the Tribal Wilderness buffer zone rather than the wilderness itself, and the two zones carry different regulations. The current Non-Member Regulations from the CSKT Wildland Recreation Program cover both.
Two closures to know. The McDonald Peak Grizzly Bear Management Zone, in the wilderness above the lake, is closed to all recreational use from July 15 to October 1 each year. And the lake within 200 feet of the mouth of Post Creek, along with Post Creek upstream of the lake, is closed to fishing year-round.
Features
Current conditions, hours, and permit rules change. Always check the authoritative source before going. See the full permits and licenses guide →