The lake, the mountains, the river and falls were wonderful. There are small pullouts for parking. From the junction the trail continues by passing through another section of dense, old-growth forest. 9. This is one of the least strenuous hikes in theLake McDonald Area, only climbing 160 vertical feet in 3 miles. After a short distance, the McDonald Creek Cutoff Trail (horse trail) peels away to the left. The only benefit of this part of the hike is the almost eerie old growth forest with the downed trees. Starting from the trailhead on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the trail climbs a little bit for about a half mile to Johns Lake. John's Lake Loop (Glacier National Park) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go. Huge waterfalls fed by the Sperry Glacier pour down the mountain into the Lake itself. Elevation gain: 240 ft (73 m) The signage is confusing as you start and get to a fork that says Avalanche Trail or Horse Loop. 8 mi (12.9 km) Although not needed, a detailed trail map will definitely help with navigation on this hike. Elevation gain: 25 ft (7.6 m) This is a pretty little lily pad-covered pond with a great view of Stanton Mountain behind it. A couple of paths lead down to the waters edge. This route offers much better views and the wonderful sound of the creek for most of the hike. View the trail notes; Upper McDonald and Johns Lake share a trailhead and path, but Upper McDonald extends farther north along the creek. Print/PDF map. A short distance beyond the McDonald Creek Cutoff Trail branches left. mostly level The water is a beautiful turquoise color, and you can look down the river, as well as enjoy the falls from the bridge. We started the hike at 4pm and it was an easy, beautiful trail and not very busy. Is this the prettiest lake in Glacier National Park? Nobody else. Insects attracted to the glistening little drops of liquid at each hairs end find themselves stuck with the slightest contact. Wow! Note: This is not our favorite hike in Glacier National Park. Are you prepared to take advantage of all the things there are to see and do along the Going-to-the-Sun Road? Kootenai National Forest Hiking Route Guides, Backpacking Route Guides in Glacier National Park, Ski touring Route Guides in Glacier National Park, Snowshoeing Route Guides in Glacier National Park, XC skiing Route Guides in Glacier National Park. Lake McDonald Loop via Upper McDonald Creek - Montana | Gaia GPS By hiking on the west side of the creek you can get a little closer to the River. Super cool tall trees and a huge waterfall right next to it beautiful. Alan Nail / alltrails.com And at only 1.8 miles in length, it's perfect for a relatively short, easy day hike. This hike description follows the loop in a counter-clockwise direction. The signage states the trail is 0.5 miles long. We started at Sacred Dancing Cascade parking and added MacDonald Falls. Just beyond Johns Lake along the Johns Lake Loop Trail inGlacier National Park, you will encounter the Sun Road Connecting Trail Junction. Nice mix of trees and water. Gorgeous the entire way and you end up on top of the falls. Johns Lake Loop Hike: Explore striking cedar-hemlock forests, quiet lakes, and roaring cascades on this leisurely hike. Take the trail closest to the bridge. Sign up to receive our newsletter packed with the best adventure guides, travel ideas, news, and articles. By Jessica Wick. Completed this 6 days ago with my whole family. Both Sacred Dancing Cascades and McDonald Falls exist because of the erosion resistant rock of the Prichard Formation1.4 billion-year-old stone and the most ancient on the west side of the park.2 Then, the Earth spun faster, only taking 18 hours to rotate once on its axis instead of 24. The trail continues through thick lodgepole pine woods until it comes out Going-to-the-Sun Road. After about a half mile Johns Lake appears through the trees. Its really only about 1 mile on the loop and a nice easy walk in the forest. Here a paved path turns right toward the Sacred Dancing Cascade parking lot and then drops down to the McDonald Creek shore. It is hard to have a disappointing hike in our National parks. There is a large foot bridge that will then take you across McDonald Creek as your Johns Lake Loop hike continues. McDonald Creek foot bridge near Sacred Dancing Cascade, along the Johns Lake Loop Trail in Glacier National Park. After enjoying the views, retrace your steps to the main trail. Nothing that exciting compared to the rest of the drive on Going to the Sun road/other hikes in the park but its quick & easy. There's not a good landing to look at it. Copyright The Johns Lake Loop really consists of two separate trails that can be connected via roads to form a loop. It is easily accessed from parking lots along the Going to the Sun Road. You may find it worth it to purchase an America . FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Turn left. The Pacific Northwest weather has left its mark on the beautiful Lake McDonald Valley. Johns Lake Loop - Utah's Adventure Family First of all, it is more a swamp than lake. Johns Lake Loop: 1670 Reviews, Map - Montana | AllTrails The hike around the Johns Lake Loop Trail inGlacier National Parkis a pleasant 3 mile hike through lush cedar forests that provides Glacier Park hikers access toSacred Dancing Cascade,McDonald Falls and Johns Lake. However, don't mistake the gated gravel road for this trail, which you'll pass just before reaching the unmarked side trail. Need to Know. Mountain bladderwort and sundew grow on the surface of sphagnum. A great trail for families/elderly or if you just want to get out and stretch your legs. KEEP GOING. It's so cool seeing this road with no bumper to bumper traffic. We believe good things come from people spending time outside. This is a very popular area for birding, hiking, and walking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. It took another 900 million years for land plants and aquatic vertebrates to show up. There are also a few junctions that you might need help with, so watch for complete directions below. The sign for the McDonald Creek Trail is about 400 feet beyond the bridge. 1.3 miles north of the Lake McDonald Lodge. From West Glacier: From the junction of US-2 and the Going-to-the-Sun Road, turn northwest on the Going-to-the-Sun Road and follow the road for 2.0 miles to a junction with the Apgar Visitor Center. Johns Lake Loop Trail Starting just north of Lake McDonald, the Johns Lake Loop is a great introduction to the verdant forests of Glacier's west side. PDF Special Highlights and Activities - U.S. National Park Service We took the best photos there. Easy 4.5 (45) Herastrau Park. East half of the trail is through dark woods. At 0.2 miles turn left at the junction on the Avalanche Lake trail toward Johns Lake. Great for (small) kids; easy, and nice views, Sacred Dancing Cascade at the Glacier National Park. Gateway to Glacier Trail: This paved 12-mile bike/hike trail is easily accessible. 5.2 mi (8.4 km) Johns Lake Trailhead via Going-to-the-Sun Road and Avalanche Lake Trail However, you will see a sign for the Avalanche Trail junction; make sure to veer to the left here to stay on the trail as a left turn will take you down a horse path. Bear right here. Below the dense forest canopy, ferns, moss, liverworts, and mushrooms are reminiscent of a temperate coastal rainforest. Tunari Forest: 30 Reviews, Map - Bucharest, Romania | AllTrails more, #32 of 59 things to do in Glacier National Park. The Johns Lake Loop Trail in Glacier Park takes you through a beautiful cedar and hemlock forest. Johns Lake Loop Hike | Outdoor Project It quickly filled up after us. Elevation gain: 500 ft (152 m) This is a view ofMcDonald CreekandMcDonald Fallsfrom the North Shore Lake McDonald Road bridge inGlacier National Park. The trailhead for the Johns Lake Loop Trail is located along the west side of the Going To The Sun Road, about 1.5 miles east of Lake McDonald Lodge. It isn't as spectacular as some of the bigger hikes in the park, but is great for a relaxing/short stroll. Mount VaughtandStanton Mountaincan usually be seen reflecting in this small, shallow lake that has lily pads taking over the surface. Elevation gain: 180 ft (55 m) Quiet scenic winter hike - Review of John's Lake Loop - Tripadvisor John's Lake Loop, Glacier National Park: Address, John's Lake Loop Reviews: 4.5/5. Discover this 3.2-km loop trail near Lake Mc Donald, Montana. Cant see lake from trail. Spend a few hours basking in the beauty of Johns Lake Loop Trail and see why it is a popular destination for hikers. At just over 1.1 miles from the trailhead hikers will reach the spectacular and powerful McDonald Falls, the last feature on McDonald Creek before it empties into Lake McDonald. Continue to bear left when the trail splits. Great for beginners. In early summer, you will hear the roar ofMcDonald Fallslong before you see it. HikingWalking.com. Still incredibly beautiful views of the forest and the river. The information on this website cannot and shall not replace sound judgment and good decision-making skills. The Johns Lake Loop really consists of two separate trails that can be connected via roads to form a loop. The 6-mile trail has minimal elevation gain and includes two waterfalls along Lake McDonald Creek: McDonald Falls and Sacred Dancing Cascade. Near the end, stand above McDonald Creek while watching it become part of Lake McDonald, an idyllic scene at sunset. (The lower part of the McDonald Creek Trail is also part of the Johns Lake Loop.). The trail to Johns Lake starts across the street from the parking area by the bridge. McDonald Falls via Johns Lake and Avalanche Campground Trail - AllTrails A couple of paths lead down to the water's edge. The great thing about this trail is that it is pretty quiet. Beautiful canopy of trees. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 h 42 min to complete. By Jessica Wick. Cross the bridge, which features nice views of the delta where the creek spills into Lake McDonald. Trailhead: Avalanche Picnic Area, Fish Creek Bike Path Mountain bladderwort has no roots, but has leaves and specialized branches that produce semi-inflated bladders. Make sure you take a left at this junction. The roads that connect these two trailheads complete the loop at this end. The paved pathway will take you down to the shore ofMcDonald Creekin Glacier National Park. McDonald Creek Trail along the Johns Lake Loop Trail inGlacier National Park. Well maintained. Bear left at the junction on the trail heading toward the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The rocks can be quite slippery when wet. Learn how your comment data is processed. We did this loop hike which showed as about 4.5 miles on strava in mid December during a moderate snowstorm. Johns Lake is a popular hike, being fairly flat and located in a busy part of Glacier National Parknear large campgrounds and the Lake McDonald Lodge. The trail follows a cascading creek past McDonald Falls, getting an eyeful of the water that feeds the expansive Lake McDonald. Take the left fork. Driving this engineering masterpiece is an unforgettable experience. On this hike you will visit John's Lake, Sacred Dancing Cascade, and McDonald Falls. McDonald Fallsare located right next to the Going To The Sun Road. We saw two ruddy ducks on the surface, though others have reported moose. We also got a decent view of the waterfall, though it was far away, and behind us, the river emptied into Lake McDonald. After crossing the road, follow the path that leads to the Sacred Dancing Cascade parking area. Do not take the horse loop. The scope of this website does not allow for disclosure of all potential hazards and risks involved in outdoor activities. Turn left on the trail traveling alongside the road. Here the trail briefly travels along the road before branching right and heading through trees back to the Going-to-the-Sun Road at 1.9 mile. The parking area alongside the road has space for roughly 7 or 8 cars. McDonald Falls is a roadside waterfall that you can see from Going-to-the-Sun Road.