Parking
The signed Boulder Pass Trail access is 0.25 mi west of Kintla Lake Campground. Hiker/backpacker parking is before the campground; campsite spaces are reserved for campers. Expect a long gravel-road approach from Polebridge.
Overview
About Kintla Lake Head Trail
Why go
- Long stretches of shaded lakeshore end at a remote backcountry camp.
- Views open across Kintla Lake toward Long Knife and Parke peaks.
Heads up
- The full lakehead walk is 13.2 miles round trip.
- The remote approach includes a long unpaved gravel drive.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Glacier map
Full mapElevation4,009–4,409 ft
TrailheadKintla Lake / Boulder Pass Trailhead (0.25 mi west of Kintla Lake Campground)48.93533, -114.35243
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 Kintla Lake Head 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
Kintla Lake0:00 / 0:32
“Kintla Lake is ahead, with forested shores and mountains beyond the water. Head to the southwest shore by the campground to enjoy the clear shallows and colored stones without committing to a long hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Glacier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Kishenehn South Trailhead
- How Trees Record Avalanches
- A Boulder Far from Home
- The Little Case That Walks
- 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 Kintla Lake Head Trail
The full lakeshore walkThis is a 13.
This is a 13.2-mile out-and-back from the Kintla Lake trailhead to the head of the lake and a backcountry campground, following the Boulder Pass Trail beside the water. The route is 6.6 miles one way. Allow about six to seven hours for the full return trip, including time to stop. Expect rolling hills rather than a flat shoreline stroll; this is a remote, full-day walk for hikers comfortable with the long drive and distance.
The route turns around at Kintla Lake Head, before the much longer Boulder Pass route leaves the lake and climbs toward the pass. The trail is an earth tread through forest, with the lake and mountain views opening between the trees.
Along the north shoreThe path follows the lake through a forested slope.
The path follows the lake through a forested slope. Openings frame Long Knife and Parke peaks across the water, while the canopy gives much of the walk a shaded feel. In early summer, the filtered light catches glacier lilies, wild roses and mariposa lilies along the trail. The hills are rolling, so the work comes from covering the distance rather than one sustained climb.
At the lake headAt the far end, the lakehead backcountry campground marks the destination.
At the far end, the lakehead backcountry campground marks the destination. Kinnerly Peak becomes prominent across the water. Beyond the lakehead, the through-route crosses Kintla Creek and climbs switchbacks toward Boulder Pass; that demanding extension is a separate, much longer hike and is not included in the 13.2 miles here.
A shorter turnaroundA faint junction with the Kintla Trail appears about 3.7 miles from the campground access.
A faint junction with the Kintla Trail appears about 3.7 miles from the campground access. Turning around there makes a roughly 7.7-mile out-and-back from the signed trailhead, giving you the shaded shore and lake views without continuing to the head. The Kintla Trail is a different backcountry route; watch for the junction and stay on the lakeshore line if you mean to reach Kintla Lake Head.
Getting there and staying safeThe signed Boulder Pass trail access is 0.25 miles west of Kintla Lake Campground.
The signed Boulder Pass trail access is 0.25 miles west of Kintla Lake Campground. Hiker and backpacker parking is before the campground; campsite spaces are reserved for campers. Reaching this part of the North Fork involves a long gravel-road drive from Polebridge, so build in time for the approach. Polebridge Mercantile is a separate stop, not a trailhead facility; its bakery is known for huckleberry bear claws.
Pets are not allowed on Glacier trails. This is bear country: make noise as you walk, hike with others when possible, and carry bear spray where you can reach it.
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.
