Upper Kintla Lake

Glacier National Park is often touted as one of the best places in the whole USA when it comes to hiking and backpacking, natural scenery and wildlife encounters. With tons of trails to choose from (over 700 miles at last count), it can obviously be tough to decide where exactly you want to explore. While you will likely see guides and trail reports on such popular hikes as Avalanche Lake, Gr...

* The road to this trailhead/lake is closed during the winter.  Kintla Lake is one of the lesser explored lakes in Glacier National Park. Located on the west side of the park, it is accessible via an unpaved road from the Polebridge Ranger Station. From the Ranger Station, take a LEFT and continue along the road for 14.3 miles. You will pass over multiple rivers and through two prairies. Make ...

Reservations for Hornet Lookout are obtained via Recreation.gov, and can be made up to six months in advance.  Consider a four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle with some clearance if available, as the forest service roads aren't always well maintained.Although the hike is short, it is all switchbacks up to the top and you need to carry enough water to last for your entire stay (including cookin...

The trail to Quartz lake begins on southend of the Bowman Lake beach. I recommend going in a clockwise direction and getting the steep bit out of the way, but the ~13 mile loop can be done either way. Follow the Bowman Lake shore on the West Lakes Trail for about half a mile and then you will find the split where the loop begins. Turn left if doing the trail clockwise. The next 4 miles will be...

Our trip started on Thursday evening, spending the night at the Bowman Lake campground. You can park your car here and it's where the hike will start and end. I recommend staying here the night before because day 1 is a doozy, so you'll want an early start. Day 1 is the hardest day of the hike, both in terms of elevation gain and mileage. Starting at the Bowman Lake trailhead, you'll hike 16 m...

Bowman lake is the 3rd largest lake in Glacier National Park and one of the most remote areas accessible by car. The drive out on a dirt road is slow and bumpy but the reward is an area without crowds and lots of adventure potential. The first-come-first-served campground offers 48 sites near the lake's edge and the perfect basecamp for sunrise/sunset photography on the lake. From the campgr...