Parking
Park at the Chief Mountain Customs trailhead lot before the port of entry. The port and approach road are seasonal; verify current access before setting out.
Overview
About Elizabeth Lake Trail
Why go
- The Belly River valley leads to Elizabeth Lake Foot and a named waterfall spur.
- Meadows, aspen groves and pine stands break up the long approach.
Heads up
- About 18.6 miles round trip makes this a full-day hike.
- The first two miles descend about 741 feet, which must be climbed on the return.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Glacier map
Full mapElevation4,573–5,325 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 Elizabeth Lake 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
Belly River Trailhead and Stoney Indian Pass0:00 / 0:26
“You're approaching Belly River Trailhead near Chief Mountain Customs, where the Stoney Indian Pass route leads through lake basins to a waterfall-lined climb.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Glacier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lee Ridge Trailhead
- The Pass That Brought the Railway
- Horns That Keep Growing
- How a Cliff Becomes a Rock Pile
- 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 Elizabeth Lake Trail
To the foot of Elizabeth LakeElizabeth Lake Trail is a long out-and-back from Chief Mountain Customs to Elizabeth Lake Foot,…
Elizabeth Lake Trail is a long out-and-back from Chief Mountain Customs to Elizabeth Lake Foot, returning by the same route. The commonly described distance is about 9.3 miles each way, or 18.6 miles round trip. Follow the Belly River route to the Foot Campground junction; this turnaround does not continue along the lakeshore to Head Campground or Helen Lake. Set aside a full day for the distance and the climb back to the start.
A steep drop at the startThe first two miles descend about 741 feet through mixed pine and aspen before reaching the…
The first two miles descend about 741 feet through mixed pine and aspen before reaching the valley floor. That stretch can be slick after rain, and the descent becomes a climb when you return to the trailhead. The rest of the valley approach is comparatively level, though it adds many miles.
Keep to the Belly River routeThe path passes open meadows, aspen groves and pine stands.
The path passes open meadows, aspen groves and pine stands. Around mile 6, the Stoney Indian Pass junction comes shortly before the Belly River Ranger Station meadow; continue on the Belly River route. Around mile 7.6, stay on the main trail at the Cosley Lake Cutoff. Farther on, a suspension bridge crosses the river, with a short spur to Dawn Mist Falls around mile 8.1. Elizabeth Lake Foot is the turnaround near mile 9.3.
Plan the access and returnThe trailhead is beside the Chief Mountain Customs parking area before the port of entry.
The trailhead is beside the Chief Mountain Customs parking area before the port of entry. The port and its approach road operate seasonally, so check current access before travelling. Check park trail reports for current river-crossing and bridge conditions as well. Pets are not permitted on Glacier trails. If you plan to stay overnight at Elizabeth Lake Foot, you need a backcountry permit.
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.
