Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park located in Montana has some of the prettiest mountains and turquoise-blue lakes. The East side is closed due to covid but there are still plenty to do in the West side of the park. Here is a list of some of the hikes and views I got to see. All of these hikes and views you can get to by driving on Going-To-The-Sun Road which is known to be the most scenic drive in the park.

1. Rising Sun

Rising Sun is the farthest you can go on Going-To-The-Sun-Road right now. It is half way of Saint Mary Lake and has a small merchandise store where I bought some huckleberry candy and huckleberry hard cider. Across the parking lot is Two Dog Flats Restaurant whose dining room is closed but they still offer take-out. I tried their huckleberry bbq sauce pulled pork sandwich. I took my lunch to my next stop so I could picnic with some great views.

2. Sun Pointe Nature Trail

From here I hiked to Baring Falls which is a pretty easy and short hike. It is mainly level so no hiking up and down. This hike goes along Saint Mary Lake so the views on this trail were so colorful. The trail continues past Baring Falls but I decided not to go further. Baring Falls is a cute little waterfall and creek. There are other trials to get to this waterfall so download those hike maps before going.

3. Logan’s Pass / Hidden Lake Trail

Parking at Logan’s Pass can be tedious trying to find a spot. Either come super early or midday when the early birds are leaving. The actual center there is not open to go in. There are park rangers to answer questions and a small gift shop open. From there I hiked the Hidden Lake Trail which is a 1.4 mile hike each way. But keep in mind you hike upwards 460 feet high so there is a lot of stairs and steep climbing. Once at the overlook, the view is breathtaking. You are pretty elevated so you have good view of Bearhat Mountain and Hidden Lake. You can choose to hike even further down to lake which is an extra 1.2 miles further. This hike got me pretty beat so take breaks often and wear the appropriate gear.

4. Lake McDonald

Lake McDonald is the only “open” lake in the park right now due to covid. You can experience it by going to Lake McDonald Lodge which is closed to non-resort guests but their gift shop and walk-up dining is available for all. You can take your food down to the lake and sit on a log, enjoying the views. You can also experience Lake McDonald by going to Apgar Village and renting either a canoe or kayak. The lake is so peaceful and full of color! The water is a turquoise-blue and very clear. This lake is pretty huge so don’t expect to be kayaking the whole way. The village of Apgar is small and cute with some tourist shops and Eddie’s Cafe which had some pretty delicious food and ice-cream.

5. Trail of the Cedars / Avalanche Lake Trail

This is a pretty popular trail so to get parking there either get there super early or midday when the early birds have left. Trail of the Cedars is by far the easiest trail as it is flat the whole way and even has a boardwalk to walk on. From this trail, you can take a harder trail to Avalanche Lake. It is a 2.3 mile hike each way with a 500 foot elevation gain. This trail is not as hard as Hidden Lake Trail even though the numbers are higher but Avalanche Lake trail goes up and down the whole way as Hidden Lake Trail is only going up the whole way there. And this trail is in the woods so it is shaded most of the way. Whatever your opinion on the hike, the view is worth it. Avalanche lake is by far the prettiest place in the park in my opinion. A massive lake surrounded by a mountain with at lease three small waterfalls falling from it. Heaven on earth.

Conclusion: I got a good taste of what Glacier National Park offers. If you want more to do I would recommend hiking St. Mary Falls, the Highline Trail at Logan’s Pass, and the Many Glacier trails like Cracker Lake trail and Iceberg Lake trail but keep in mind that the road to Many Glacier is closed so if you want to see any areas of Many Glacier, you are looking at over a 10 mile hike just to get to the trails. Or just wait till the roads open back up. Either way, I will definitely be going back to Glacier National Park once the rest of the park opens back up.