State Hwy 17
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Begins four miles north of East Glacier, and runs on the north side of Lower Two Medicine Lake. A very easy (no hills) and short path goes to Running Eagle (Trick) Falls. Bears are frequently spotted in this area.
A beautiful little lake almost a mile above sea level. West of the lake, mountains raise 3000 ft above it, and on the eastern shore sits the large century-old Many Glacier Hotel which is a starting point for many trails.
Iceberg Lake is a beautiful and popular destination that can be reached by a 4.5-mile (7-km) hike out of a trailhead at Swiftcurrent Inn. The lake is aquamarine with glacial silt, and surrounded by steep, glacier-carved cliff faces. On the hike you will have the opportunity to see the Ptarmigan Falls, the Ptarmigan Wall, many wildflowers, mountain goats, and perhaps even grizzly bears.
The most spectacular viewpoints in the park are along this road. It is closed to traffic in Winter and open from June - Oct. Depending on weather, it will be open as early as Memorial Day weekend (last Monday in May). You can check the road status online. Highlights include Lake McDonald, Logan Pass at the Continental Divide, Rising Sun, and St. Mary Lake. Road construction is possible in the summer with just one lane open to traffic (and opposing traffic held back). At about 6,600 feet (2,000 meters), Logan Pass is the highest drivable point in or near the park. The car park at Logan Pass fills up early in the morning and becomes a chaotic fight for a space the rest of the day. Though a "must see" for anyone visiting the park, it is not a shortcut from Lake McDonald to St. Mary. Despite the distance being several times longer, it is almost always faster to go around via US Hwy 2 and 89.
Connects with roads going into the park at St. Mary (Going to Sun Road) and Babb (to Many Glacier). It then continues north where it intersects with Chief Mountain International Highway (see below). Excellent views of St. Mary and the lake from the hills north and south of the town. Though unmarked, the Hudson Bay/Gulf of Mexico Divide is 4.5 miles south of the Going to the Sun Highway junction in St. Mary with Divide Mountain on the west side.
Sperry Glacier Overlook can be reached by a steep climb up a trail from the Sperry Chalet (2.5 miles to Comeau Pass). The hike takes you by secluded alpine lakes and boulder-strewn meadows and up a stairway hewn into the rock, from which you emerge at Comeau Pass to be greeted by breathtaking views of the Little Matterhorn, Bearhat Mountain, and Mt. Reynolds. Another mile, marked (sometimes confusingly) by cairns, takes you to the edge of the glacier, where there is now a sign with information about the glacier's history. This trail is also one of the best places in the park to see families of mountain goats up close. The glacier is worth seeing, since scientists predict that it have completely disappeared between 2030 and 2050. The Sperry Chalet is also worth seeing, and has a dining hall where non-guests can purchase a hot lunch from an à la carte menu.