Glacier National Park, MT
A wooded traverse past Three Bears Lake to the Lubec access.
Overview
Autumn Creek Trail is an 8.6-mile, one-way hike from Summit Trailhead at Marias Pass to the Lubec access on U.S. 2. It follows the Summit connector past Three Bears Lake, then takes the Autumn Creek and Firebrand Pass paths to the highway. Plan on about four to five hours of walking, and arrange a second car or a shuttle before you start; this is not a loop. If you only have one car, a short out-and-back to Three Bears Lake is the easier choice.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the through-hike for you?Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Glacier Tour Guide
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
Marias Pass and Three Bears Lake“You’re approaching Summit Trailhead at Marias Pass, where a short out-and-back to Three Bears Lake is the simplest walking option.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Glacier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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
The trail begins by the railroad tracks at Marias Pass. Cross the active line, then follow the Summit path past Three Bears Lake; Autumn Creek branches off about 1.1 miles from the pass. The lake has an unexpected railway story: Great Northern Railway built earthen dams here in 1902 to raise the water for a 50,000-gallon steam-locomotive tank at the pass.
From the lake junction, the route climbs through lodgepole pine and huckleberry, then opens into small meadows below Elk Mountain. Bear grass and summer flowers brighten those clearings, and views reach toward Calf Robe, Summit, Little Dog, and Elk mountains. The high point is near a formation hikers call The Mummy, just under 6,000 feet. The long wooded middle has been reported as poorly maintained, so don't count on a smooth, fast walk throughout. Bear grass blooms especially well after a wet spring; meadow flowers are most often seen in June and July.
The Lubec end reaches U.S. 2 near mile marker 203, where the trailhead access crosses the railroad. Leave a vehicle there or arrange a pickup before setting out from Marias Pass. This is the northbound Lubec traverse; a separate, roughly six-mile winter ski route heads south from the pass to a different highway pullout near mile marker 193.8. Dogs aren't allowed on Glacier's trails.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingContinental Divide National Scenic Trail (Glacier Section)114 mi · 3 days · At the trailheadA 114-mile pass-to-border traverse over the Continental Divide.
ChallengingElk Mountain Trail6.8 mi · 6.5 hr · 4.9 mi awayA punishing climb to an old lookout site above Marias Pass.
ChallengingFirebrand Pass Trail10.2 mi · 7 hr · 5 mi awayA long climb to big views over remote Ole Creek country.
ChallengingOle Creek Trail25 mi · 16 hr · 5 mi awayCross Firebrand Pass into Ole Creek's remote mountain valley.
EasyGoat Lick Overlook Trail0.2 mi · 20 min · 11 mi awayA short paved walk to mountain-goat country above the river.
ChallengingCobalt Lake Trail11.6 mi · 7 hr · 11.3 mi awayWaterfalls and beaver ponds lead to a high alpine lake.
ChallengingTwo Medicine Pass Trail16 mi · 10 hr · 11.3 mi awayA long climb from waterfalls and lake into a windy alpine pass.
EasyParadise Point Trail1.2 mi · 45 min · 11.3 mi awayA short forest walk to a small beach on Two Medicine Lake.Parkwolf’s Glacier ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
