Hidden Lake

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The first part of trail is very busy up to the overlook. The section past the overlook is considerably steeper, so be prepared for a real leg burner, especially on the return trip.

The trail starts behind the Logan Pass Visitor Center and works its way across alpine meadows. Rocky summits stand guard all around. As you work your way up the steps of the boardwalk, more peaks come into view and you get a great view of the Garden Wall. When the road is first open to Logan Pass in the spring, most of this trail is on snow, but by mid-summer, it is a carpet of flowers of every color. Water flows from patches of snow that linger into the fall.

The trail gets closer to Clements Mountain and skirts a moraine and crosses numerous feeder streams that are to become Reynolds Creek below. The trail levels out at Hidden Pass with subalpine fir and pocket lakes. Mountain goats are frequent here and on the shoulders of the surrounding mountains. The trail gently goes to a platform at Hidden Lake Overlook which serves as the turning around point for many. Here, you look down at the beautiful Hidden Lake tucked beneath cliffs and backdropped by Bearhat Mountain. Interpretive signs help you pick out Sperry Glacier in the background.

From here, the trail continues on dirt as it traverses fairly level terrain on the north side of the lake before hitting a switchback where the trail steeply descends to the lake in a flurry of switchbacks. At the bottom of the descent, the trail wanders to a pebbled shoreline and the outlet of the lake. It's a great spot to relax, fish, or have a snack.

If you take this trail all the way to the lake, be sure to save a bit of energy for the return trip!

This content was created by Jake Bramante of Hike 734. Visit hike734.com for more expert Glacier content and maps that help you decide which trail to run.

Alpine plants such as glacier lilies, elephant head, fleabane, and beargrass line the meadows. Marmots, ground squirrels and pikas as well as mountain goats and deer frequent the area. Finches, ptarmigans, pipits, jays, hawks and falcons can be seen as well.