When we visited Glacier National Park in early July, we had no clue the Going-to-the-Sun Road would still be closed to vehicular traffic due to winter snowfalls. If you are unfamiliar with Glacier National Park, the Going-to-the-Sun Road is the main artery of the park. Without access to this thoroughfare, you are limited to what parts of the park you can discover. We were restricted to West Glacier National Park. As such, we thoroughly explored this area of the park. Without a doubt, Avalanche Lake Trail via the Trail of the Cedars is the best hike in West Glacier.
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You can read What To Do When Going-to-the-Sun Road is Closed in Glacier National Park if you find yourself in the same predicament that we did.
Avalanche Lake Trail Highlights
- Trailhead: Trail of the Cedars trailhead
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time Required: 2.5-5 hours
- Mileage: 5.7 miles
- Elevation Gain: 784 feet
- Route Type: Out and back
- Time of Day: Early morning or after 4pm (very popular and crowded hike with limited parking)
- Season: June – October
Wildlife on Avalanche Lake Trail
Even though this trail is a popular and crowded trail, your possibility of seeing wildlife is high as is all trails within Glacier National Park. The park recommends that you always carry bear spray with you while walking any trail, even crowded ones. We did not see a bear while we were there. However, a week after we left, the park closed this hike due to an abundance of grizzly bear activity. To find current trail status, check out the Glacier NP Trail Status Reports. We did see deer eating right beside the trail twice. The deer were completely un-phased by people walking by. At Avalanche Lake, an aggressive chipmunk was frightening people who were trying to eat their snacks.
Carry in Your Pack:
- Water: Make sure to pack plenty of water on all your hikes.
- Snacks/Lunch: Take snacks and a packed lunch (depending on what time you hike), so you have plenty of energy.
- Bug repellent: The bugs were ferocious in Glacier NP, so pack some bug spray for your sanity.
- Bear spray: Bear spray is a must for any hike where bears call home.
- Rain Gear: You never know when a rainstorm will appear, so pack your rain gear to avoid getting drenched.
Need to Potty?
If you find yourself needing a bathroom while on this trail, there is a pit toilet located just before you come to Avalanche Lake. However, the sign is faded and blends into the lush green bushes, so it is difficult to see. Once you spot the sign, you will turn right onto a narrow trail that takes you into the forest. The toilet cannot be seen from the main trail, so you will need to look for the sign.
Begin Your Hike on the Trail of the Cedars
From the parking area, follow the signs to the Trail of the Cedars. Trail of the Cedars is a 0.9-mile easy, loop with virtually no elevation gain.
Walk through the tall cedar trees on an elevated platform crossing Avalanche Creek on one half of the loop. The other half of the loop continues on a well-maintained trail next to the Newhalem Creek Campground.
The Avalanche Lake Trail begins halfway through the loop, so it does not matter if you go right or left when you get to the loop. Just make sure to finish the loop when you are returning from Avalanche Lake to see all this trail has to offer.
Continue to Avalanche Lake Trail
Ascend a series of steps until you can see the Avalanche Creek carving a narrow canyon into the Earth. Walk along the creek all the way to Avalanche Lake. There will be times the path veers deeper into the woods and away from the creek. Trust me, you are walking parallel to the creek.
The majority of the walk is through dense, old growth cedar and hemlock trees. If you walk the Avalanche Lake Trail early in the morning or later in the evening, be prepared to be in the dark. The treetops block most of the sunlight.
At about 1.5 miles into the hike, the trees open up for a view of Mount Cannon and Bearhat Mountain.
Continue for another 0.5 miles, and it will look like you are entering a jungle. The trail narrows and bright green bushes flank the sides of the trail. Beyond the greenery, you will see Little Matterhorn mountain in the distance.
You Have Arrived at Avalanche Lake
Your first glimpse of Avalanche Lake is from a small beach where you can see fallen trees have made their way to this corner of the lake.
Continue on the trail until you get to a larger beach where you are closer to Little Matterhorn and can see the many waterfalls better. Notice the colored rocks that fill the crystal clear waters.
When the sun was shining, some people dared to swim in the frigid, glacial waters. And I do not know how they were able to do it. I walked out to a rock and had to get knee-deep. The water was so cold; it was painful.
The trail technically ends another 0.5 mile along the lake from the large beach. The end of the trail is anticlimactic, so you could shave 1 mile off your total hike if you turn around at the large beach area.
Avalanche Lake is the highlight of this trail, but do not let that stop you from enjoying the journey. The wild white mushrooms, hollowed-out tree logs, and moss-covered everything were beautiful in their own right.
Rain or Shine, It’s a Good Time
We loved the Avalanche Lake Trail so much, we did it twice. The rain sprinkled down the first time we did this hike, and the sun shined the second time. The color of the lake was different in the rain versus the sun, but it was so beautiful both times. I am actually glad we got to experience it both ways.
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