Hike: Avalanche Lake
Distance: 4.5 miles RT
Elevation gain: 730 feet
Thoughts: Only a short drive from the Apgar Visitor Center, Avalanche Lake was a moderate hike worth the effort once we arrived at the picturesque lake. It started off on an easy pathway that led to a trail with a few ups and downs along the way. Ultimately, it was the end that provided the best view and a great place to have lunch.
Hike: Johns Lake Loop
Distance: 2 miles RT
Elevation gain: 225 feet
Thoughts: This was one of our easier hikes but that certainly didn't mean the views were lacking. Unlike many of the other trails we did, Johns Lake was a loop and was made up of small portions of various trails. We even came across a few people who were fishing over a bridge and had caught a fish right before we got there - you could see the fish in the water it was so clear.
Since RVs over 21 feet aren't allowed all the way along Going-to-the-Sun Road, we (luckily) had to drive down along the bottom of the park and up to St Mary KOA, our next RV site. This detour allowed us to stop at Two Medicine, another area of Glacier National Park, which wasn't as frequented as the other parts of the park. We even were gifted Bear Spray by a family who was about to leave the park!
It certainly encouraged my mother to think there were bears everywhere for the rest of our trip on the east side of Glacier in Two Medicine, Rising Sun and Logan Pass:
Hike: Astor Park Lookout to Rockwell Falls
Distance: 8.2 miles RT
Elevation gain: 670 feet (Astor) and 375 feet (Rockwell)
Thoughts: Astor Falls had a nice little waterfall at the beginning of the Astor Park Lookout trail. After hiking up the rather large hill to the lookout, I will be honest and say it wasn't entirely worth it. However, there were lovely views. The hike to Rockwell Falls was worth it and we were the only ones at the falls to enjoy it. This was one of my favorite hikes because it was our first (very close up) encounter with a moose!...and then another (farther away).
Hike: Virginia Falls to Baring Falls
Distance: 5 miles RT
Elevation gain: 525 feet and 280 feet
Thoughts: This hike was along a portion of the park that was impacted by a forest fire in 2015, giving it a much different setting compared to the rest of the park. We saw three waterfalls on this hike, Virginia Falls being the biggest. I enjoyed this easy to moderate hike and it was conveniently accessible from the free shuttle bus stop at Rising Sun.
Hike: Hidden Lake
Distance: 2.7 miles RT
Elevation gain: 540 feet
Thoughts: The entire trail was snow which made for a much different hiking experience, especially when in a t shirt in 80 degrees. My hike stopped at the Hidden Lake overlook even though the trail continued down all the way to the lake. Not sure if I would need to do this one again, but it certainly offered sweeping views and even some (collared) wildlife.
Hike: Iceberg Lake
Distance: 9.7 miles RT
Elevation gain: 1275 feet
Thoughts: We took a short drive to Many Glacier for this one. It was definitely in the top two of my favorite hikes over the trip and was well-traveled - but that didn't stop us from seeing a momma moose and her baby and a bear (albeit very far away)! Iceberg also provided a great area to have lunch and wonderful views throughout.
