Parking
Use the signed Goat Lick Overlook parking lot along U.S. 2. A seasonal restroom is listed at the trailhead; drinking water is not available.
Overview
About Goat Lick Overlook Trail
Why go
- Smooth, gently sloped pavement reaches a memorable wildlife viewpoint.
- Two distinct views: river and mineral seep.
Heads up
- Goat sightings aren't guaranteed.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Glacier map
Full mapElevation3,934–3,953 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 Goat Lick Overlook 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
Goat Lick Overlook0:00 / 0:30
“Goat Lick Overlook is coming up, where mountain goats visit an exposed bank above the Middle Fork Flathead River. They’re drawn to minerals in the gray clay, so scan the opposite slope rather than just the skyline.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Glacier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Cone with Three-Pointed Tabs
- The Lift Along the Ridges
- Walton and Scalplock Lookout Trailhead
- Why a Lake Freezes on Top
- 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 Goat Lick Overlook Trail
A quick wildlife stopGoat Lick Overlook Trail is an easy, 0.2-mile out-and-back from the signed lot on U.S.
Goat Lick Overlook Trail is an easy, 0.2-mile out-and-back from the signed lot on U.S. 2 to views above the Middle Fork Flathead River. The path is smooth, gently sloped pavement; allow 10 to 30 minutes to walk and scan the opposite bank.
The National Park Service describes two short overlooks from this parking area, one facing the river and one facing the mineral seep. Each approach is about 500 feet one way. The mapped Goat Lick path follows the named paved route and returns along the same corridor; if you want both views, allow for the second short approach too.
What draws the goatsThe name comes from a natural mineral seep that attracts mountain goats.
The name comes from a natural mineral seep that attracts mountain goats. The river view and rocky slope are the point of the stop, but a goat sighting is never guaranteed. From the viewing area, the riverbank and mineral cliffs make a good frame; stay behind the railings if wildlife appears.
Access and safetyPark at the signed Goat Lick Overlook lot.
Park at the signed Goat Lick Overlook lot. The restroom is seasonal, and there is no drinking water. Stay on the path and behind railings near the steep drop-offs. Keep at least 25 yards from mountain goats and 100 yards from bears. Pets may be in developed parking areas but aren't allowed on Glacier trails.
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.
