Parking
Use the Apgar Lookout Trailhead, 0.5 mile north of the West Entrance and 2.4 miles down Quarter Circle Bridge Road.
Overview
About Apgar Lookout Trail
Why go
- A wooden fire lookout gives the climb a clear destination above Lake McDonald.
Heads up
- A long, steep ascent takes up most of the hike and crosses sunny open slopes.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Glacier map
Full mapElevation3,392–5,318 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Glacier alert
- ClosureTwo Medicine Campground closed for 2026 constructionTwo Medicine Campground is closed throughout 2026 because of construction in the Two Medicine developed area.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Glacier Tour Guide
Your drive to Apgar Lookout Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Glacier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Glacier audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Apgar Lookout Trailhead0:00 / 0:25
“You're approaching Apgar Lookout Trailhead, the start of a steep hike to a wooden fire lookout above Lake McDonald.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Glacier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Old Flathead Ranger Station Trail
- How Ice Sharpens a Skyline
- The Second Rainbow Runs in Reverse
- Apgar Visitor Center
- 204 audio storiesacross Glacier’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Wolverine, Mountain Goat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 157 trails, 91 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Our first time to glacier and we used the audio portion for Going to the Sun Road. Wonderful information with perfect advice of what to see and do along the road.”
Trail guide
Hiking Apgar Lookout Trail
A demanding climb to a lookoutApgar Lookout Trail is a 7.
Apgar Lookout Trail is a 7.2-mile out-and-back from the Apgar Lookout Trailhead to Apgar Fire Lookout, about 3.6 miles each way. The climb gains roughly 1,900 feet, with a short dip before the lookout, so allow about four to five hours. It is a hard, steady uphill walk rather than a quick viewpoint stop. The payoff is a real wooden fire lookout above Lake McDonald.
How the route buildsThe lower stretch begins along an old dirt road and is easier walking.
The lower stretch begins along an old dirt road and is easier walking. About three-quarters of a mile in, the sustained climb starts; long switchbacks carry you up the southwest slope for most of the next 2.7 miles. Keep some energy for the way back: this is an out-and-back, so you retrace the same climb and trail.
A mountain shaped by fireThe route crosses open slopes affected by the 2003 Robert Fire.
The route crosses open slopes affected by the 2003 Robert Fire. Fire crews used a managed burnout on Apgar Mountain to slow the fire and protect nearby communities. The sunny south-facing climb can feel hot in summer, and the open burned sections offer less shelter than a forest walk. Carry water from the start.
What waits above the lakeThe trail ends at Apgar Fire Lookout on a ridge below Apgar Mountain's high point.
The trail ends at Apgar Fire Lookout on a ridge below Apgar Mountain's high point. Lake McDonald, Howe Ridge and the surrounding valley are the main views; trees and the communications equipment near the lookout break up parts of the panorama. For a photograph that places you on this hike, include the wooden lookout in the frame instead of shooting only across the lake.
Access and trail rulesThe trailhead is 0.5 mile north of the West Entrance and 2.
The trailhead is 0.5 mile north of the West Entrance and 2.4 miles down Quarter Circle Bridge Road. Use the Apgar Lookout Trailhead as the start for the mileage above. Dogs are not permitted on Glacier's trails. Bring the water and food you need for the full climb; no refill or food stop on the route was confirmed.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Glacier
404 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
11 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
1,173 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,000 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
395 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
506 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Glacier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
