"Land of the Shining Mountains Lived Up to Its Name"
FNO Takes you to the state of: Montana
Where are you (park, forest, etc.)- Glacier National Park
Nearest town (s)- Kalispell and Whitefish, still a decent 1.5-2 hour drive to the east side
How long is this hike- Shorter back and out
Miles- About 3.5 miles
On your toughness scale (1 easiest, 10 toughest): 3. Great for a family hike with views the entire drive to the trailhead.
Tell us about it
Where are you (park, forest, etc.)- Glacier National Park
Nearest town (s)- Kalispell and Whitefish, still a decent 1.5-2 hour drive to the east side
How long is this hike- Shorter back and out
Miles- About 3.5 miles
On your toughness scale (1 easiest, 10 toughest): 3. Great for a family hike with views the entire drive to the trailhead.
Tell us about it
It wasn't too long ago that I did this hike and this whole trip convinced me of one thing: Glacier is the closest I have ever been to Alaska in the lower 48. The drive to this trailhead is remarkable in itself. The Going-to-the-Sun Road bisects Glacier National Park and getting here from either side is impressive. Just be careful when you go because weather tends to play a big role in what you can see.
I did this hike with my Pops in Mid-July. July in Montana seemed to have temperatures perfect for hiking. This day was no different.
We drove from the east side of Glacier about 10 miles to St. Mary Falls trailhead. From here we started the slightly less than two mile walk in. While we had all the intentions of getting to Virginia Falls we encountered a few other falls on the way. After just over half a mile we found St. Mary Falls which was a stunning intro. It was a three tiered waterfall that gave way into the St. Mary River beneath.
I did this hike with my Pops in Mid-July. July in Montana seemed to have temperatures perfect for hiking. This day was no different.
We drove from the east side of Glacier about 10 miles to St. Mary Falls trailhead. From here we started the slightly less than two mile walk in. While we had all the intentions of getting to Virginia Falls we encountered a few other falls on the way. After just over half a mile we found St. Mary Falls which was a stunning intro. It was a three tiered waterfall that gave way into the St. Mary River beneath.
After stopping to soak in the view, we continued on. For the next mile you stumble by a number of falls which are impressive enough to easily be mistaken for the Virginia Falls we heard about. However after finally reaching our last "faux" Virginia Falls we made it to a sign post marking Virginia Falls just ahead. After only another few hundred feet uphill we made it to the base of the remarkable waterfall.
From what I saw of glacier this was the coolest of the waterfalls. In an area known for some of the last glaciers in the continental United States, there are many other notable landscape features to catch your attention.
See any wildlife?: On the actual trail no,but on the drive there we saw a number of mountain goats.
Would you recommend? (Yes or no) Yes I would love to go back and try this hike along with a few others. Give it a 8.
Trail Tuesdays is a new weekly segment of Father Nature Outdoors. We realized that we have friends and colleagues all across the country so why not take advantage of their knowledge, and hear some fun stories in the process. If you would like to contribute to Trail Tuesdays yourself just go to the “Contact Us” page and let us know. In return we will reward you with a free FNO microfiber headband. We get to hear some awesome stories and in return we’re rewarding you just to go get some fresh air! That’s a win-win in our book.
See any wildlife?: On the actual trail no,but on the drive there we saw a number of mountain goats.
Would you recommend? (Yes or no) Yes I would love to go back and try this hike along with a few others. Give it a 8.
Trail Tuesdays is a new weekly segment of Father Nature Outdoors. We realized that we have friends and colleagues all across the country so why not take advantage of their knowledge, and hear some fun stories in the process. If you would like to contribute to Trail Tuesdays yourself just go to the “Contact Us” page and let us know. In return we will reward you with a free FNO microfiber headband. We get to hear some awesome stories and in return we’re rewarding you just to go get some fresh air! That’s a win-win in our book.
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