Avalanche Lake Trailhead — Attraction in West Glacier

I 100% recommend this hike. It is about a 1.8 mile hike, but that is from the Avalanche trailhead itself. There is a very short walk to get to the trailhead. Maybe about 1/3 of a mile. The hike is moderate difficulty. I am an out of shape 49 year old woman and I made it. I was definitely out of breath and drinking a lot of water, but it was so worth it. The scenery is breathtaking, and pictures can’t even do it justice. I’m not sure why this wasn’t on my bucket lists, except I had never heard of the place before my visit to Montana! We hiked all the way to the lake, and then all the way to the other end of the lake. It is definitely worth the extra walking. A couple things: 1.) They say it is crowded and there were definitely a lot of people. We went on Saturday and after getting up to the lake, had no issues finding places to take pictures with no people in them. It really was serene calm and relaxing even with other people there. 2.) I read before I went that I should plan for about three hours, one to get up there, one to visit, and one to come down. Realistically it took a lot longer than that. The uphill hike had us taking breaks and stopping for photos. We wanted to stay at the lake way more than an hour, but as it was, it was like 4 pm when we got there. I would suggest going much earlier and planning for longer. The way back is MUCH a quicker.

PS If you have your husband pick you up in the car, be sure to specify what parking lot you are meeting at. (I wasn’t the only one looking for her...

Oh my gosh, this is a hiking trail you MUST see. You HAVE to!! It’s beautiful, gorgeous, definitely God Country Heaven! The landscape is remarkable, it keeps changing!! Im in love! The hike is about 2 miles long, the destination is well worth it! I saw hikers with fishing poles but didn’t see any fishes because I was mesmerized by the scenery! Its a little challenging, but manageable. I am 5’4” 189 LBS. As always take enough water with you. I took 42oz water bottle plus 4 16oz in my hiking bag. There are restroom and water facet/pump before the hike. I recommend packing a toilet paper. This is a busy tourist destination. Its a cool hike. I went around 4pm. The West Glacier doesn’t require Vehicle reservation after 4 pm but you still need to pay. If you are traveling and want to enter Glacier before 4 pm you will need a reservation ticket and park ticket. Make sure you plan and purchase in advance for that. If you are military or veteran you will still need the reservation ticket and get the park ticket at the entrance (i think). My husband got his park pass after 4 pm. He didn’t pay anything. If you are a disabled vet make sure you let them know that if they give you a regular military pass because those passes are indefinite. I think the military/vet pass is good for a year. I think the best time to go is mid July to September because it’s mostly raining in June and some parts of Glacier are closed. So to make your trip worth it, plan & purchase in advance and know a...

I had the pleasure of joining the Glacier Institute’s guided tour for this hike, and it was an awesome experience. Shoutout to Alex for driving us and providing fun knowledge as we strolled. This trail is very family friendly and has great features. Some examples are the wider trail, a high percentage of packed dirt over rocks (less likely to roll an ankle), and a lovely shaded forrest for the intensely sunny part of the day. With that said, I think the full beauty of the lake would be realized at dawn or dusk because when you end at the lake at noon, you will be blinded by the sun and the haze in the air will be most prominent so the pictures will not turn out well. The water was very clear and fairly warm (bad for the environment, good for the water sports enjoyer). The start of the trail was at a fast moving water spot where I saw a family jump into the water and swam. I do not recommend doing that there because the fast current is very dangerous. In fact, early last week, the park service had recovered a body of someone who had gone missing in June from swimming in that part of the river. It is much safer to hike up to Avalanche lake and enjoy a much safer swimming environment. This hike is much more accessible than the Hidden Lake and Grinnell Glacier trails which I was very thankful for since my legs were very tired from those hikes. If you are looking for a lovely jaunt through forestry that ends at a lake, this...