South Shore St. Mary Lake Trail

This is a 16.4-mile, one-way point-to-point hike from the 1913 Ranger Station parking area to the St. Mary Falls Trailhead on Going-to-the-Sun Road. It crosses open meadow and burned forest, then follows St. Mary Lake’s south shore to Virginia Falls and St. Mary Falls. Plan on about 9–10 hours and arrange a pickup or second vehicle; this is a hard, full-day outing, not a loop. A 15.7-mile figure also appears for the route, but its endpoint is unclear, so treat the mileage as approximate and plan for the longer mapped line.

The first roughly four miles pass through meadow and patches of burned forest. The trail reaches Red Eagle Creek, follows it for about 0.4 mile, then crosses a burned ridge and descends toward St. Mary Lake. The route description is sparse on junction details, so have a map with the full line rather than relying on the lake as a continuous shoreline guide.

After reaching the lake, the route alternates between forest and openings with views across the water. Feeder creeks and small cascades lead toward Virginia Falls; from there, the path follows cascading Virginia Creek toward St. Mary Falls and the west road access. Rock near Virginia Falls can be slick. The short St. Mary Falls walk from the road is a separate outing, not the distance for this traverse.

Start at the 1913 Ranger Station parking area and finish at the St. Mary Falls Trailhead. Arrange your transportation before setting out because the route does not return to its start. Pets are not allowed on Glacier National Park trails.