Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park will have you agape as you look up at the mountains surrounding you with multiple waterfalls flowing into the crystal-clear waters of the lake.
The hike begins near Avalanche Campground on a boardwalk that goes back for about .4 miles just off Going to the Sun Road, and you are immediately immersed under old growth cedars and hemlock trees.
If you’re starting in the morning, dress in layers. The shadows of the canopy can make it cool. And starting very early in the day is recommended. This hike is extremely popular, and parking can be a nightmare. If you can, it might be better to utilize the shuttle system in the park.
The hike comes to a bridge that crosses Avalanche Creek, and the sight is stunning the way the creek runs through a rock wall chasm with spots of moss growing on the sides and trees on both sides. The water flow is gorgeous, and you’ll have to walk with patience across the bridge as everybody seems to stop here for pictures.
The trail parallels Avalanche Creek to Avalanche Lake but runs a little further south of it, and you don’t have a clear view of the creek at all times. As you get closer to Avalanche Lake, you begin to hike through large thickets of Huckleberry bushes on both sides of the trail. While in Glacier National Park you want to constantly be vigilant for Grizzly Bears, and this is where you really up to your situational awareness game.
The bears enjoy the huckleberries, and you don’t want to walk up on one and scare it. Make noise. A lot of people say, “Hey bear,” as they walk. Others are in groups and talk loudly with each other. Others bang their trekking poles together as they hike, while others have bear bells. The idea is to make noise so you don’t surprise and scare the bears and cause them to attack you. You will lose.
When you emerge at Avalanche Lake, all you can do is look at the stunning landscape around you and the towering mountains in front of you. We got off the trail down on a little offshoot to the shore of the lake where there were many other people. We walked along the shore for a ways and stopped and sat on a rock and just stared at the mountains and waterfalls in front of us. The water was clear, and we could see the bottom with fallen logs from trees under the water.
As we sat on the rock, our backs were turned to the north end of the lake. We were about .10 miles from where we first approached the lake. From behind us, we could hear people starting to shout, “Bear!” repeatedly. We turned to look, and there was a bear in the lake swimming in our direction. We got off the rock pretty quickly and did not run, but we walked at a little faster than normal pace to what appeared to be a safe area along the shoreline. The bear swam past us on its way to its destination and paid us no mind. Because the bear was submerged with only it’s head and just a little bit of its back above the waterline, we could not make out if it was a black bear or a grizzly bear, but it was large. Larger than any black bear I’ve ever seen, so we think it may have been a grizzly, but we were not 100 percent.
Everything happened so fast, going for the camera was not an option, as my hand was on the bear spray.
Heading back, we were extra cautious as we hiked through the forest, and we were around other groups of people most of the time.
Directions: From the park entrance at the south end, go right at Going to the Sun Road and travel about 14.5 miles to the Trail of the Ceders; this is the trail you take to Avalanche Lake. 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: Trail Of Ceders
Trailhead Coordinates: 48.680767, -113.819050
Trailhead Elevation: 3546 Feet
Distance: 4.9 Miles – Out And Back
Level Of Difficulty: 🟡
Average Grade: 5.1%
Steepest Grade: 14% For 93 Feet
Ascension: 929 Feet
Trail Condition: 🟢🟢🟢🟢
Scenery: 🟢🟢🟢🟢
Nearest Town: West Glacier
Traffic: 🥾🥾🥾
Highlights: Avalanche Creek, Avalanche Lake
Best Time: Summer, Fall
Wildlife Concerns: Black Bears, Grizzly Bears, Mountain Lions, Rattlesnakes
Cell Service: 📵📱 (Verizon)
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: Near The Trailhead