How to Find Waterfalls at Glacier National Park

McDonald Falls

1). Drive along the Going-to-the-Sun Road to the north shore of Lake McDonald. Look for directional signs to the Lake McDonald Ranger Station.
2). Leave the Going-to-the-Sun Road by turning west. Park the vehicle at the Lake McDonald Ranger Station. The trailhead to McDonald Falls is accessible from the parking area.
3). Walk only a few hundred feet along the level and easily accessible trail. The falls are near the mouth of the creek and therefore considerably wide when compared to other falls in Glacier.
4). View the falls. Creek rapids reach the precipice, and with only a slight elevation drop, the water continues its pace to the lake.
5). Look for wandering or reclining moose upstream. Moose tend to favor the cool rushing water as it drops from the higher elevations into the lake.

1). Drive over Logan Pass to the eastern side of Glacier National Park. Look for directional signs to the Saint Mary Trailhead, located on the southwestern shore of Saint Mary Lake.
2). The trailhead has its own parking area. Using switchbacks, descend approximately one mile before reaching a wooden bridge, which crosses the stream below the falls.
3). View the falls from the bridge. Note that the stream squeezes through a narrow chasm of rock outcroppings before making two separate drops.
4). After crossing the bridge, note that the rock wall extending outward from the second drop might offer a closer view. The wall is sometimes wet and very slippery. Climbing is discouraged.
5). Note that the sandy knoll between the bridge and the wall is a popular place to have lunch before returning to the trailhead or before continuing on to Virginia Falls.

1). To view Virginia Falls, hikers can continue on the trail for another half mile. The Virginia River joins the Saint Mary River just below the wooden bridge.
2). Follow the trail along the western bank of the river before another wooden bridge permits the hiker to cross.
3). View the falls from the bridge. Virginia Falls makes a single drop over a cliff precipice before splattering into a pool below.
4). Note that Virginia Falls has a longer drop than Saint Mary, but the extended yet rather short hiking distance is well worth the experience.
5). Resist the temptation to climb along the cliff outcroppings or among the boulders downstream. The rapids are treacherous, and warning signs are posted.

1). Waterfall enthusiasts can access Florence Falls at the same trailhead as Saint Mary and Virginia Falls. Florence Falls, however, requires a more challenging effort.
2). Descend via switchbacks to just before the Saint Mary Bridge. The trails will fork at this point, with the Saint Mary and Virginia trails continuing toward the left and the Florence Trail cutting right.
3). This section of the trail is designated a moderate to strenuous four-mile hike, continuing along the Saint Mary River before terminating near the drop.
4). Prior to reaching the falls, the trail will fork twice--a right turn toward Jackson Glacier Overlook and a left turn toward Gunsight Lake. Pay attention to the appropriate directional signs.
5). Note that Florence is at its fullest capacity during the spring runoff. During late summer and autumn the water trickles, cascading down step-like rock formations embedded in the cliff wall.

1). Continue eastward on the Going-to-the-Sun Road to the Baring Falls trailhead, located only a couple of miles further east of Saint Mary's trail.
2). Stop at the Sunrift Gorge parking area and follow the directional signs for an easy stroll toward the lake shore. The parking area is located on the left side of the road going east, and the trail crosses the road.
3). The hike is approximately half a mile round trip, with only a slight elevation gain. Accessibility is somewhat limited because of a narrow crossing bridge, which is constructed of only two logs and a handrail.
4). Note that Baring Falls has a disproportionate drop where the main flow is redirected by outcropping ledges; it is accentuated by a sheer curtain of water caused by small fissures near the top of the precipice.
5). Also note that before reaching the falls, the water passes through Sunrift Gorge--a deep and narrow rift through solid rock, accessible to the north of the parking area.

1). Access the Many Glacier Road, located on the eastern side of the park, nine miles north of the Saint Mary Visitor Center.
2). Drive the twelve miles to road's end and the Swiftcurrent Trail trailhead. The trail leisurely follows Swiftcurrent River to Redrock Falls.
3). The trail is less than three miles round trip with only a 100 foot elevation gain. Hike toward Mount Grinnell, a single massive monolith, which stands alone on the western horizon.
4). The waterfall escapes from a placid pool located above brownish-red outcroppings, dropping rapidly through and over the rocks, utilizing any course available. The primary flow avoids the rock pile completely, opting instead to cascade over similar rock formations that are submerged below the surface.
5). Opt to continue following the cascading river another five miles. Pass Bullhead Lake to its source, below the eastern ridge of Swiftcurrent Pass. The river is known for many smaller waterfalls.