Parking
Use the Belly River Trailhead on Chief Mountain International Highway (MT-17), about 1,000 feet south of Chief Mountain Customs.
Overview
About Mokowanis Lake Trail
Why go
- Cosley and Mokowanis lakes sit beneath dramatic peaks.
- A waterfall detour breaks up the long valley approach.
Heads up
- 28.8 miles round trip; an overnight is the practical plan.
- Early-season mud and seasonal crossings can slow the approach.
From Belly River Trailhead just south of Chief Mountain Customs to Mokowanis Lake and back is 28.8 miles, with 14.4 miles to the lake. The route follows Belly River Trail, Cosley Lake Cutoff, Stoney Indian Pass Trail, then the short Mokowanis Lake spur. The name Mokowanis Lake Trail often labels the final spur; the distance above includes the full approach from the road. Allow about 15 hours on foot over at least two days. I would plan an overnight rather than try to force the whole out-and-back into one day.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the full hike for you?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 Mokowanis 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 Mokowanis Lake Trail
Start with a long descentThe first two miles drop about 700 feet through lodgepole forest, then mixed evergreens and…
The first two miles drop about 700 feet through lodgepole forest, then mixed evergreens and aspen. Mountain views start opening after roughly two-thirds of a mile; around mile 2.25 you reach the Belly River, followed by meadow and broken-forest stretches with broader valley views. These lower miles can be very muddy early in the season or after rain.
The Belly River Ranger Station area comes at about mile 6.1. The first station dates to 1912; its current cabin was built in 1925–26. It is a rare trail-only ranger post in a valley that still feels far from the park roads.
Cosley and Glenns lakesPast the ranger station, the route crosses a seasonal suspension bridge and climbs a low ridge…
Past the ranger station, the route crosses a seasonal suspension bridge and climbs a low ridge toward Cosley Lake. At about mile 8.7, the lake opens below Pyramid Peak, Mount Kipp and Cathedral Peak; their reflections are the standout view here. A short detour reaches Gros Ventre Falls.
The route keeps going through forest along the long Glenns Lake shore. This stretch rolls gently, but willows block the water in places, so don't expect an open shoreline view all the way through. Mokowanis Junction is around mile 13.2; follow the southern spur toward the lake.
The lake is the payoffThe last roughly 1.
The last roughly 1.4 miles climb past White Quiver Falls to Mokowanis Lake, beneath the steep east face of Pyramid Peak and Mount Merritt. The lake and its two-site backcountry campground are the end of this itinerary. This is a remote valley walk with a dramatic destination, not a summit hike.
Plan the overnightA National Park Service wilderness permit and reserved backcountry site are required to stay…
A National Park Service wilderness permit and reserved backcountry site are required to stay overnight. The Mokowanis Lake campground has only two sites, so make the reservation part of the plan. There is no food service on the route. Glacier National Park prohibits pets on trails and lake shores.
Early-season lower trails are often muddy, and water crossings can be cold and swift. Seasonal bridges may not yet be installed in late spring and are usually removed by late September; check current trail and road status before leaving for this remote access.
A shorter lake objectiveIf 28.8 miles is too much, Belly River Ranger Station is about 6.
If 28.8 miles is too much, Belly River Ranger Station is about 6.1 miles one way from the same trailhead, and Cosley Lake is about 8.7 miles one way. Both are earlier turnarounds on this corridor; Cosley still makes a substantial 17.4-mile out-and-back, but skips the final long push to Mokowanis.
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.
