Day 1
Part One
July 2, 2019
There was no better way to start my expedition to Glacier National Park than doing a hike up to Avalanche Lake! It was a trail that I did not plan to hike, but did so at the suggestion of my Airbnb host Mia. It ended up being my absolute favorite hike!
If you are planning to visit, make sure that you arrive early to the parking area, as it fills up fast! I got there right before 9 am and should have been there earlier. I lucked out and was able to get one of the last few parking spots by the restrooms. FYI all toilets, besides those at the Visitor’s Centers are pit toilets. Basically, an outhouse that has a standard toilet seat over it. The smell is horrendous and there are no sinks, only hand sanitizer dispensers to ‘wash your hands.’ So warning to those that are visiting, try and use the facilities before entering the park, or at a visitor center. Side note, at Logan’s pass, there are standard restrooms, but no sinks?! Still just hand sanitizer.
To start the Avalanche Trail, you will cross the street from the parking lot and follow the signs for Avalanche/Trail of the Cedars. There are two entry points, one directly across the parking lot and one slightly further up the road. I recommend starting right across from the parking lot, as you will cross a beautiful bridge that offers a nice photo opportunity. See below.
The first mile or so of the path is a flat boardwalk. This is technically part of the Trail of the Cedars, which is an accessible trail.
You will then cross a wooden bridge next to a powerful waterfall. The water is so blue! I still cannot get over the color of the water in Glacier National Park!
A little way past the bridge is where you can take a left to start the Avalanche Lake Trail. It is then a 2-mile hike up to the lake, although it felt like a lot longer! The trail partly follows along the stream coming down from the lake, making it a peaceful beginning of the hike. The incline can be pretty steep at points. I felt like I would never get there, but trust me, the hard work is well worth it! The trail is heavily populated, and you will never be truly alone on the path. There were also many families hiking the trail, even some with small children. Hiking up is more like ‘follow the leader’ than trekking through a deserted forest.
Once I made it to Avalanche Lake, I stopped in my tracks at the awe-inspiring view! Avalanche Lake is stunningly beautiful! The color of the water is a pristine turquoise blue, and exceptionally clear. Some people were even drinking the water through their LifeStraws! There were four waterfalls, that I could see, cascading down the rocky mountains into the lake. I stood there for an hour just gawking at this amazing place!
For those visiting, there are multiple outlets from the trail where you can view the lake and stand on the pebble beach. Most hikers will stop at the first outlet, so I recommend to keep hiking on another quarter of a mile or so to find a more private vantage point. There was also a single pit toilet located close to the lake, but I did not stop there.
After my hour of eating my snack and being mesmerized by the view, I decided to head back down the trail. The hike up took about an hour and a half (for an out of shape individual) and about 45 mins to hike back down. There seemed to be more people hiking up as I was heading down, so definitely try and start the hike early. As I made it back to the parking lot, the two lots were full, and cars were parked along the side of the Going to the Sun Road for at least half a mile! So if you do not want a longer hike than necessary, go early!
On the other side of the parking lot, is a short path down to the river. A lot of people were down there picnicking. The views were pretty but not as good as up at the lake!
