In this stretch, we started to notice some interesting purple-colored rock laters near the foot of Clements Mountain. Hidden Lake Trail Description – from the cascades to the overlookĮventually towards the apex of the climb, the Hidden Lake Trail finally flattened out as it veered to the right. The trail would continue its climb as it provided different angles of the “Hidden Lake Cascades” eventually crossing some of their unnamed streams (one was over a bridge). Looking towards a pair of ‘Hidden Lake Cascades’ from near the apex of the climbing trail to the Hidden Lake OverlookĪbout where the boardwalk ended and the conventional dirt trail began, that was where we started to see cascades tumbling at the foot of Clements Mountain. The boardwalk would continue to persist for the first 1/2- to 3/4-mile or so.
The higher up we went on the boardwalk, the more expansive the vistas became and the more wildflowers we were seeing along the way.
This was especially the case if we were not acclimated, which was what happened with Julie and Tahia as this was their first hike in the park when we made our visit in August 2017. In any case, the uphill hiking (despite being on boardwalk) was surprisingly taxing due to the thinner air. That was one of the ‘Hidden Lake Cascades’ Context of the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail climbing further to the pass, but notice the cascade further up ahead. Perhaps over the years, the park service has since worked to correct that. I swore that on my first visit here in 2010, I saw a lot more “social trails” leaving the boardwalk and heading towards what would turn out to be the Oberlin Bend. The boardwalks appeared to be there to protect the sensitive vegetation below. On the ascending boardwalk, the trail provided wide vistas and flanked large beds of wildflowers. With so many wildflowers in bloom during our August 2017 hike to Hidden Lake, I’m sure it was tempting to go off trail, but that might be precisely why the park service has put up a boardwalk to keep people from damaging the meadow The well-signed Hidden Lake Nature Trail began right behind the visitor center and pretty much started right off as a paved walkway before becoming a boardwalk. Our hike began from the very crowded Logan Pass Visitor Center (see directions below). Hidden Lake Trail Description – from Logan Pass to the cascades This also included a half-hour lunch break as well as plenty of photo stops along the way and at the Hidden Lake Overlook itself. Since we did this as a family (which included our 6-year-old daughter), it took us on the order of 2.5 hours total. The boardwalk leading to Hidden Lake with Clements Mountain the background The trail itself climbed an additional 540ft over much of this hike. I swore it felt longer than that, but that might be due to the thin air where the trailhead was at 7,152ft. The hike from Logan Pass to the Hidden Lake Overlook was said to be 1.5 miles each way (or 3 miles round trip). Indeed, this place was popular for a reason, and after finally getting a chance to do this for ourselves, we can see why. Looking across an extensive field of wildflowers during our hike to Hidden Lake We also saw massive fields of blooming wildflowers, mindblowing vistas taking in shapely mountains, reflective alpine tarns, and the occasional sighting of mountain goats and other wildlife.Īmong the mountains we saw on this hike were Mt Oberlin, Clements Mountain, Reynolds Mountain, and even distant glimpses of the Garden Wall (which hikers to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook might recognize). Moreover, they indirectly gave me the excuse I needed to sing the praises of one of the most popular day hikes in Glacier National Park.Īfter all, in this hike, we were treated to views of Hidden Lake, which we thought was compelling enough to be Glacier National Park’s answer to Moraine Lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. Context of some of the ‘Hidden Lake Cascades’ backed by some formations beneath Clements Mountain The “Hidden Lake Cascades” were the informal name pertaining to a set of notable waterfalls that we encountered while hiking the Hidden Lake Trail from the Logan Pass Visitor Center to the Hidden Lake Overlook.Īdmittedly, while these waterfalls didn’t knock our socks off and they were merely incidental attractions on the way to Hidden Lake, they were significant enough to include on this website.
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