Parking
Start from the roadside parking area at Jackson Glacier Overlook on Going-to-the-Sun Road; the trail begins at the lot’s east end. The overlook is also a shuttle stop.
Overview
About Florence Falls Trail
Why go
- A varied approach passes Deadwood Falls, a suspension bridge, Mirror Pond and Florence Falls.
Heads up
- The long early descent becomes a return climb, and the falls spur can be brushy.
Florence Falls Trail is a 9.8-mile round-trip out-and-back from Jackson Glacier Overlook, following the Piegan Pass and Gunsight corridors to a stair-step waterfall that drops more than 100 feet. Allow about four to four and a half hours. It is a strenuous day with roughly 975 feet of climbing, and much of the appeal is the changing creek and forest approach rather than a quick waterfall stop.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Glacier map
Full mapElevation4,662–5,351 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Florence Falls 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
Jackson Glacier Overlook0:00 / 0:30
“Jackson Glacier Overlook is coming up, with a view of glacier ice without a hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Glacier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Why the Lakes Turn Turquoise
- Siyeh Bend and Siyeh Pass
- St. Mary and Virginia Falls
- East Tunnel
- 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 Florence Falls Trail
Down to Deadwood FallsThe route begins at the east end of the overlook parking area and loses about 665 feet during…
The route begins at the east end of the overlook parking area and loses about 665 feet during its first 1.2 miles. Deadwood Falls is a smaller cascade with pools below it. Roughly a tenth of a mile past the falls, turn right at the Gunsight Pass junction and cross the long suspension bridge over Reynolds Creek.
River valley and Mirror PondBeyond the bridge, the path reaches the St.
Beyond the bridge, the path reaches the St. Mary River through a willow wetland, then follows the forested valley. Around mile 2.9, the trees open at Mirror Pond. Its grassy bank frames Mount Jackson, Gunsight Mountain, Fusillade Mountain and Gunsight Pass across the water; this is the best place to pause for the broad valley view.
Florence FallsNear mile 3.9, turn onto the falls spur.
Near mile 3.9, turn onto the falls spur. The final approach is brushy in places, with chest-high vegetation. Sources put this spur at about 0.8 to 1 mile each way. At the end, you reach the base of the waterfall, where the low angle hides much of its full height. A short 10- to 15-foot scramble up the hillside shows more of the stepped drop, but that off-trail slope is outside the mapped route.
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.
