St. Mary and Virgina Falls Trail

The Trail

This moderate trail is about 1.9 miles one way to reach both St. Mary and Virginia Falls with about a 300 foot elevation change. There will be more climbing than that during the course of this trail though if you return the way you came, since the trail first descends to St. Mary and then climbs to Virginia Falls. For a shorter hike, stop at St. Mary Falls after just 1.1 miles (one way).

Topographical Map

 

Graph of Elevation

 

Trail in Google Earth

There are actually two trailheads for this trail: one where the shuttle stops and one at the parking lot for private vehicles. Since we were driving ourselves, we started at the parking lot.
 

Trailhead

The trail starts out at a downhill drop toward the river, winding around the hills as it goes.

St. Mary Falls

If you have time and energy to continue for another 0.8 miles and climb about 300 feet, you can continue along the trail to reach Virginia Falls.

After enjoying the falls, return back the way you came.

Directions

This trail is located in Glacier National Park in Montana. To get there, follow Going to the Sun Road within the park and park at the St. Mary Falls Trailhead. Alternatively, ride a shuttle to the stop for this trail. The trail starts directly from the parking area. GPS Coordinates: N48° 40.508' W113° 36.260'