Sperry Chalet Trail

Sperry Chalet Trail is a 12.6-mile out-and-back from Sperry Trailhead, across Going-to-the-Sun Road from Lake McDonald Lodge, to Sperry Chalet and back. The climb is about 6.3 miles one way, gaining roughly 3,430 feet to an alpine ledge at 6,580 feet. Allow 9 to 11 hours with stops. The draw is a full change in scenery: forest, a major fire scar, creek crossings, an alpine basin, and a historic backcountry chalet. This is a strenuous all-day hike, and the return covers the same steep ground downhill. This mileage stops at the chalet; it does not include the separate continuation to Sperry Glacier or Gunsight Pass.

The trail starts opposite Lake McDonald Lodge and climbs quickly through cedar, hemlock, and larch. Horses use the lower trail too, so expect to share the tread. Around three-quarters of a mile in, you enter sections burned by the 2017 Sprague Fire. The forest has less shade there, but the open patches give you a better look up the valley. Near 1.6 miles, pass the Mount Brown and Snyder Lakes spurs and stay on the main route toward Sperry.

A footbridge at Crystal Ford crosses Snyder Creek and makes a good place to pause before the harder upper climb. From there, the route works through the Sprague Creek drainage. An opening gives you a view of Beaver Medicine Falls, but the trail does not descend to the falls' base. Keep going: the chalet first appears high on the slope, and the switchbacks above the falls give a better look back across the valley.

Near Glacier Basin, watch for the route split. Bear right across Sprague Creek, then take the right branch for the chalet; the left continuation climbs toward Comeau Pass and Sperry Glacier. Those junctions are easy to miss, so check your map before carrying on. The basin opens into meadow below cliffs streaked with waterfalls, a sharp change from the forested lower miles.

Sperry Chalet sits near treeline on a ledge above Lake McDonald, with the Whitefish Range and surrounding peaks in view. The stone dining building was built in 1913 and the main buildings opened the following year. The 2017 Sprague Fire consumed the wooden dormitory; the National Park Service stabilized the stone walls and rebuilt the dormitory over the next two years. The chalet returned to full service in 2020. This is one of Glacier's two remaining backcountry chalets.

Sperry Trailhead is across Going-to-the-Sun Road from Lake McDonald Lodge, and parking can be limited. Carpool if you can. The chalet is a seasonal backcountry facility; the National Park Service lists dining, snacks, potable water, and restrooms there, but check current operating information before relying on them. Pets are not allowed on this backcountry route.