West Glacier, Montana

Hike to Avalanche Lake

4.5 Miles Total - 730 ft gain - Out-and-Back Trail

Impressive views of glacial water careening down the gorge and numerous look-out points to capture the cascading waterfalls. A very scenic trail with 500-year-old cedars to see.

This is a 4.5 mile hike with a total elevation gain of 730 feet. The hike to Avalanche Lake begins from the Trail of the Cedars trailhead. Be prepared for a lot of incline.

Approximately one half mile from the trailhead you’ll reach a footbridge that provides views of the lower Avalanche Gorge. It is just past this point that you’ll find the Avalanche Lake Trail junction.

At 2.3 miles, you will reach the foot of Avalanche Lake. Take in the views or stop for lunch at the large beach area. You can also continue along the trail on the western shoreline to the head of the lake.

This is a popular trail and parking can be tight. Best to get an early start.

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Explorer

Jon Mattrisch

Hike to Avalanche Lake

5 months ago

Incredibly rewarding and accessible hike

The view at the end of the hike (well, first part as this is an our and back) is one of pure awe. Seeing Avalanche Lake surrounded by the mountains capped with snow is an absolutely gorgeous sight to behold. The hike itself is fun, traversing ups and downs, rocks and tree stumps and massive root systems. The views along the way look out over the various other mountains within the park. Definitely don't pass this one up!

Mackell Phillips

Hike to Avalanche Lake

over 2 years ago

Beautiful Views, Easy Climb

My sister and I took this hike this Winter (mainly because the others were closed because of a fire and for the season), but it was awesome. We saw some wildlife (Deer and mountain goats). The view at the top was a gorgeous view of the lake with a mountainous backdrop!