Hole in the Wall Trail

Hole in the Wall Trail is an out-and-back backcountry route from Bowman Lake Ranger Station to Hole in the Wall Campground, following Bowman Lake Trail over Brown Pass and then west on Boulder Pass Trail. It is about 30.8 miles round trip, or 15.4 miles each way; plan for nearly 16 miles on each leg. Allow roughly 20 hours of walking over at least two days. This is a remote overnight backpack, not a day hike.

The first 7.1 miles follow Bowman Lake’s north shore over rolling ground. Across the water are Square Peak, Rainbow Peak, and Mount Carter. Bowman Lake Head campground is the first backcountry site and a natural stopping point, but the route continues well beyond it.

From Bowman Lake Head, the route gains about 2,200 feet over the next 6.7 miles to Brown Pass, with most of that climb in the last two miles. The trail changes from lakeshore walking to a long high-country ascent. At Brown Pass, turn west onto Boulder Pass Trail; continuing beyond the Hole in the Wall junction leads into a different, longer trip toward Boulder Pass and Kintla.

The final stretch follows Mount Chapman’s south side, wraps around its west flank, and descends on a short branch to the Hole in the Wall campground. The basin is a hanging canyon beneath a high cliff wall, with waterfalls dropping into the green amphitheater. It’s the payoff for the long approach. From the trail, frame a piece of the path with the headwall and falls so the basin’s scale reads in the picture.

The trailhead is at Bowman Lake Ranger Station, reached from Polebridge over rough, unpaved North Fork roads. Polebridge is the only service stop in the area; there is no cell service in the North Fork. Backcountry camping requires a wilderness permit and a campsite itinerary, so arrange the overnight before starting. Pets aren’t allowed on trails or in the backcountry. Early- and late-season snow and swift, cold crossings can change how passable the high route feels; seasonal bridges are removed by late September.