Quick facts
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Distance
- Trail distance varies by approach
- Elevation gain
- Significant
- 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. Specific permit category and rules change; 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.
Saint Mary Lake (also written Saint Mary’s) is a backcountry lake in the Mission Mountains tribal wilderness east of St. Ignatius. The lake and the trail to it are on CSKT-administered land, and access requires a current CSKT Conservation License.
Permit rules, allowable activities, and access have changed over the years. Verify current rules with the CSKT Natural Resources Department before going.
Where you are: the lake sits in the Tribal Wilderness buffer zone, outside the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness itself. The wilderness boundary runs above it, and the rules tighten past it. The current Non-Member Regulations from the CSKT Wildland Recreation Program cover both zones.
On the water: the lake (Tabor Reservoir on some maps) is closed to float tubes, boats, and other flotation during August, September, and October, and fishing in those months is restricted to the dam face. Dry Lake Creek and the lake within 200 feet of its mouth are 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 →