Morning Star Lake Trail

Morning Star Lake Trail is a 13.2-mile out-and-back from Cut Bank Trailhead to the lake and back. The 6.6-mile figure is one way, so allow about 7–9 hours for the full walk. The published climb is roughly 640 feet: this is a long day on mostly gradual terrain, not a short, steep summit climb. The payoff is a changing creek valley and a small lake tucked under high cliffs.

The trail leaves the trailhead through a meadow that can be bright with summer wildflowers, then follows the north bank of North Fork Cut Bank Creek through open lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir for about four miles. Bad Marriage Mountain fills the view to the south early on; farther in, Mount James and the pointed Flinsch Peak appear, while Medicine Grizzly Peak grows larger as the valley closes around you.

At about mile four, stay left for Morning Star Lake. The right branch goes toward Medicine Grizzly Lake and Triple Divide Pass. The Morning Star route crosses Atlantic Creek and passes small Atlantic Falls shortly after the junction. Beyond it, the valley opens into a subalpine meadow beneath steep cliffs, with snowmelt waterfalls high above, then narrows through fir forest on the final approach.

A footbridge sits near the foot of the lake, with a wall of cliffs rising beyond the water. Look high on the red cliffs for mountain goats, though a sighting is never guaranteed. A backcountry campground lies around the lake; overnight stays require a wilderness permit. The trail continues toward Pitamakan Lake, but that adds about two miles and 1,500 feet of climbing one way, so it is a much bigger outing than the route described here.

From US Highway 89 between Two Medicine and St. Mary, follow Cut Bank Road to its end and start at Cut Bank Trailhead. Bring food and water for the full day. Pets are not allowed on park trails or in the backcountry. Atlantic Creek is a real crossing: spring runoff can make Glacier crossings high, swift, and cold. Seasonal bridges are generally installed by mid-July and removed by late September, so check current crossing information before setting out.