#Glacier national park hidden lake how to#

The park handout guide fully explains how to be bear aware. You can buy it for about $50 a canister and you can even rent the stuff at some locations. The best time to do this hike is early or late in the day when you have a greater chance of seeing wildlife. Beavers have dammed up part of the creek in a cedar forest and moose have been known to frequent the area. While the views aren’t from high above a mountaintop, there is a possibility of a moose sighting. The trail offers great streamside views and, about halfway along, a huge flat rock that is a perfect spot for a break. It winds along the creek but veers away at times into the nearby forests. That means it’s a great tune up hike for longer and steeper hikes. The hike is almost seven miles round trip, but since the trail follows the creek, it’s essentially flat. The McDonald Creek trailhead is just about a half mile from the Going to the Sun Road and just about a mile east of Lake McDonald Lodge. I’ve selected a number of hikes, from the one that gets you acclimated to the forest and the elevation to a few that are strenuous but worth the effort. The guide includes shuttle bus times as well as times for special ranger-led hikes and evening presentations. The guide has tips on what to do in the park, including how to be aware of bears and how to deal with a bear encounter. There are few guardrails to protect hikers, and, mostly, you are in charge of your own safety.īe sure to pick up a park guide and map from the rangers at any entry station.

Like any foray into the wild, be aware of your surroundings, pack plenty of water, and remember: This isn’t a theme park. The hiking trails range from gentle strolls along creeks and lakes that are very flat and easy to much more aggressive hikes that take you up thousands of feet and across many miles of parkland. Glacier may well be the last wild place in the Lower 48, what with wolves and bears and elk and mountain goats. Glacier is the last place in the Lower 48 states to see grizzly bears, and there are still more than 20 glaciers sitting on top of the mountains. Glacier National Park has become a destination for about 3 million visitors a year who come to explore the million acres of parkland, crisscrossed by 750 miles of hiking trails. What’s not to like about spending time in a beautiful national park, enjoying nature and family?

Glacier national park hidden lake