Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ing tends to fill early, the park's free shuttles to both of these trailheads are available from
Lake McDonald Lodge or Apgar Village.
A longer and somewhat more strenuous hike is the trail to
Akokala Lake,
climbing
roughly 600 feet over 5.8 miles one-way. The trailhead is at the north end of Bowman Lake
Campground (32 bumpy miles north of West Glacier on Inside North Fork Rd. and Bow-
man Lake Rd.), and the trail runs over moderate terrain, through burned areas, and to the
remote Akokala Lake, which is filled with native cutthroat trout. The fishing is great, espe-
cially halfway around the west side of the lake, where the water is deep next to the shore.
Reuter and Numa Peaks tower over the lake and provide a sublime backdrop. As with many
of the trails in Glacier, this one cuts through grizzly country, and hikers should be well pre-
pared.
Leaving from Logan Pass at the summit of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the high-altitude
Granite Park Trail
is 15.2 miles round-trip, out and back, over moderate terrain with a
500-foot elevation gain. It is well traveled and breathtakingly scenic. The first three miles
of the trail cut into the Garden Wall above the Going-to-the-Sun Road and are not for those
with a fear of heights; the ledge can be frightening but provides stunning views. The trail
ultimately leads to the Granite Park Chalet but en route passes in the shadow of Haystack
Butte, Mount Gould, and Mount Grinnell. Mountain goats and bighorn sheep often share
the trail with a good number of hikers. If you're making it a day hike, plan on lunch at the
chalet (888/345-2649,
www.graniteparkchalet.com
)
before returning to the trailhead.
Certainly among the best-loved trails in the park, the
Highline Trail
loop, which runs
alongside Granite Park Trail for the first 7.6 miles. It parallels the Garden Wall, climbing
200 feet over 7.6 miles to Granite Park Chalet, then drops more than 2,200 feet over the last
4 miles back to the road. The views are staggering, but the precipice is not for the faint of
heart.
For a number of reasons—including wildlife, weather conditions, and mainten-
ance—hiking trails can be closed at any time. To check on the status of many of the park's
most popular trails, visit
www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit
.
Boating
Before the Going-to-the-Sun Road was completed, most of Glacier's adventurous visitors
saw the park by boat. Today this nostalgic mode of travel offers benefits all its own. Both
Lake McDonald and Bowman Lake offer excellent boating and fishing opportunities in the
form of kayaking, canoeing, and even semi-restricted motorboating. Boat rentals are avail-
able at Apgar and Lake McDonald Lodge. For hour-long boat tours—think sunset cocktail
