Sperry Glacier Trail

The Sperry Glacier outing is an 18.4-mile out-and-back from the Gunsight Pass Trailhead across Going-to-the-Sun Road from Lake McDonald Lodge. About 5.8 miles follow Gunsight Pass Trail to the Sperry Glacier junction, then roughly 3.4 miles climb to Comeau Pass and the marked glacier overlook. Expect about 4,835 feet of climbing and a day near 11 hours. This is a very strenuous high-altitude hike for fit, acclimatized hikers. The route ends at the overlook stake; it does not take you onto the glacier.

Park along the Lake McDonald Lodge access roads, cross Going-to-the-Sun Road at the marked crossing, and start on its east side. Parking near the lodge can be limited; carpooling or the seasonal shuttle from Apgar can help. The lower trail climbs through cedar, hemlock, and the recovering 2017 Sprague Fire burn, with junctions toward Mount Brown Lookout, Snyder Lakes, and Fish Lake. Stay on Gunsight Pass Trail until the signed Sperry Glacier junction, about 0.4 mile below Sperry Chalet. The chalet is a nearby detour, not part of the stored route to the glacier.

From the junction, the route moves through trees and meadows along the basin's east side, then crosses talus and a creek below Feather Woman Falls, about 0.4 mile in. At 0.7 mile, cross Akaiyan Creek and start the long switchbacks up the basin's west wall. The grade steepens near Akaiyan Falls, where water spills over slabs beside the trail. Around 1.5 miles, another creek crossing and a boulder-strewn shelf open views toward Lincoln Peak and the high summits southwest of the park. At the headwall, rock outcrops and small alpine meadows replace the lower basin's greener slopes.

Feather Woman Lake sits at about 7,538 feet. The trail crosses its outlet stream just above a small fall; flat rocks help with the crossing, though water levels vary. Farther on, Akaiyan Lake rests in a rocky bowl below a high ledge of waterfalls. The trail traverses shelves above the lake before beginning the final climb. Mountain goats have been reported in this upper basin; give them room if you see them.

The last ascent steepens on switchbacks below the pass. Rock steps cut into the cliff have an assist cable where snow or ice can cover the footing, so this exposed section takes care and time. Comeau Pass is about 8,025 feet high and opens north over Avalanche Basin toward the Logan Pass peaks.

A marked route continues about 0.6 mile beyond the pass. It crosses the broad saddle, drops slightly, then follows cairns and a boot-beaten track over permanent snow and a few stone ledges to a stake at the overlook. The glacier lies below Gunsight Mountain, with meltwater ponds that feed waterfalls into Avalanche Basin. This is the signature view: frame the ice with the red rock and mountain above it. Retrace the same exposed snow crossing, steep basin climb, and long forest descent.

Sperry Chalet opened in 1914 as one of the backcountry chalets built for the Great Northern Railway by James J. and Louis Hill. Its dormitory burned in the 2017 Sprague Fire; the surviving stone walls were stabilized, and the reconstructed chalet returned to service in 2020. When the chalet is operating, it offers food, snacks, drinking water, and restrooms, but those services are seasonal and require the short detour from the glacier junction.

Sperry is the park's most studied glacier. Meltwater ponds beneath it feed the falls in Avalanche Basin, and the ice is part of a much smaller modern landscape than the one early visitors knew: the park counted about 80 glaciers in the region around 1850 and 26 named glaciers meeting its size threshold in 2015 imagery. Those are dated historical counts, not today's total. Late August and early September often offer clearer glacier views after most winter snow has melted, but the high pass and final snowfield can remain snow-covered, and conditions change from year to year. Pets are not allowed on park trails.