Overlooking Hidden Lake in Glacier National Park is awe inspiring, and looking out from here is one of the places where you can see why Montana gets the label “Big Sky Country.” No picture can capture this – it has to be experienced to be understood. The best way to describe it is that the sky above you doesn’t seem to stop, and you can seem to see forever over the horizon.
The hike starts at the Logan Pass Visitor Center for about 1.17 miles to Hidden Lake Pass, and then another .16 miles to the Hidden Lake Overlook.
The hike out is not long, but at least the first half mile is on a boardwalk. We weren’t sure if the boardwalk went on any further because the rest of the trail for quite a distance was under snow, and we couldn’t tell where the boardwalk ended. Yes, there was snow at Logan Pass in mid-July.
The hike to the viewpoint was spectacular as we looked out over vistas to our north and south, and we hiked past Clements Mountain and looked across the way to Reynolds Mountain. Along the way, we saw seven bighorn sheep grazing and a mountain goat.
When we got to the overlook, the views were stunning. We didn’t want to leave. It overlooked Hidden Lake with Bearhat Mountain just to the southwest of where we were. As you looked straight ahead, the sky went on and on to the horizon as you could for miles and miles out.
From the overlook, the trail went on down to Hidden Lake for about another 1.2 miles, but it was closed when we were there due to increased bear activity at the lake.
Directions: From the Apgar Visitor Center, go left at Going to the Sun Road and travel about 30.5 miles to Logan Pass Visitor. Parking can be horrendous if not impossible, so it is best to get there very early in the morning. If possible, it might be better to take a park shuttle.
The Skinny
Trail: Hidden Lake Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 48.695417, -113.718450
Trailhead Elevation: 6675 Feet
Distance: 2.7 Miles – Out And Back
Level Of Difficulty: 🟢
Average Grade: 7.7%
Steepest Grade: 13.2% Over 79 Feet
Ascension: 571 Feet
Trail Condition: 🟢🟢🟢🟢 – Where It Wasn’t Snowed Over
Scenery: 🟢🟢🟢🟢
Nearest Town: St. Mary
Challenges: Hiking In Snow
Traffic: 🥾🥾🥾
Highlights: Everything
Best Time: Summer, Fall
Wildlife Concerns: Bighorn Sheep, Black Bears, Grizzly Bears, Mountain Goats, Mountain Lions, Rattle Snakes,
Cell Service: 📵📱
Would I Do This Hike Again?: Yes
Parking: At The Trailhead. $35 To Enter The Park At Time Of This Writing. Good For 7 Days.
Restrooms: At The Logan Pass Visitor Center