An Honest Review of Hidden Lake Hike In Glacier

If you are traveling to Glacier National Park, this honest review of the Hidden Lake hike will be helpful. There was some good, some bad and things we would’ve done differently. This is one of the most popular hikes in Glacier and the scenery is stunning–if you go at the right time.

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How and when to get to hidden lake

Morning Is Not A Good Time

The trailhead for Hidden Lake is located behind the Logan Pass Visitor Center. Logan Pass is the highest elevation in Glacier National Park that you can reach by car. It takes about an hour to drive from the west entrance of Glacier to Logan Pass.

Important Note: Between May 26th and September 10th, vehicle reservations are required to enter Glacier National Park. These reservations must be purchased in advance at Recreation.gov. Click here for detailed information about required vehicle reservations.

My family of five visited Glacier National Park at the beginning of August, and did the hike to Hidden Lake on the fourth day of our trip. We knew from experience earlier in the week that the Logan Pass parking lot fills up by 7:30am (at the latest).

As we drove up Going To The Sun Road, we could see ahead that Logan Pass was completely enveloped in fog. When we arrived to the parking lot a little after 7:00am, there were a few parking spots left, and limited visibility. There was no issue with fog at the lower elevations along the drive, the sky was actually clear all the way up.

It was also very cold outside first thing in the morning. At Logan Pass, the temperature was in the upper 40s at 7:00am. Due to the high elevation, Logan Pass is usually windy. If you hike to Hidden Lake in the morning, dress warmly! But keep in mind that in the summer, the temperatures rise to the 80s or 90s during the day. Layering is key!

Utilize the Shuttle System

Since the morning is cold and foggy, the afternoon is the best time to hike Hidden Lake. However, the afternoon is the hardest time to find parking at Logan Pass. The best way to get to the Hidden Lake hike trailhead in the afternoon is by shuttle.

You can park and take the shuttle from either Apgar Visitor Center and Avalanche Lake (Trail of the Cedars) on the west side, or from St. Mary and Sun Point on the east side.

You will still need vehicle reservations for the park, even if you intend to use the shuttle system Check out my article 10 Things To Know Before Booking A Trip To Glacier National Park for detailed information on the shuttle system.

Hike to Hidden Lake Overlook

The hike from the trailhead to the Hidden Lake Overlook is 1.3 miles. If you only hike to the overlook, it is a 2.6 mile roundtrip hike. The hike to the overlook is on a boardwalk and is all uphill.

The boardwalk has steps every few feet that climb up to the overlook. The elevation gain from trailhead to overlook is 551 feet. The hike to the overlook is a bit of a workout with all of the steps, but it is not strenuous.

Hanging Garden Meadows

If it is not foggy, the views on the way to the overlook are beautiful. It is an open vista with gorgeous 360 degree views of the mountains surrounded by the Hanging Garden meadows .

Mountain goats, big horn sheep and marmots often graze in the meadows along the hike. In the summer, pink and yellow wildflowers frame the mountain views of Hanging Garden.

Hidden Lake Overlook

On a clear day, Hidden Lake overlook has a beautiful view of the lake with mountains as a backdrop. Bearhat Mountain is the main attraction of the overlook, with its perfect triangle shape.

When we arrived to the overlook around 8:30 am, we couldn’t see anything. The fog was so thick, there was zero visibility at the actual overlook. Walking about 20 yards past the overlook, took us out of the cloud of fog, and we had some visibility from that vantage point.

The Second Hidden Lake Overlook

After you reach the Hidden Lake Overlook, keep walking a little farther to reach another incredible view of Hidden Lake. The trail turns a corner and you get a side view of the lake and mountains that is pretty spectacular. Don’t turn back before taking in the sight of the lake from this second overlook!

The Hike Down To Hidden Lake

This is where we get real. From here on out this hike is challenging. Once you reach the second Hidden Lake overlook, you can continue the trail all the way down to Hidden Lake. It is another 1.3 mies from the overlook to the lake. The 1.3 miles is all downhill and is very steep in some parts. Hiking poles are a must for this portion of the hike. They will really save your knees on both the ascent and descent.

When we went in August, the hike to Hidden Lake had been closed past the overlook due to bear activity for a few weeks. Salmon were spawning at the lake, bringing more grizzlies to the area than usual. Unbeknownst to us, the trail opened back up the day before we went. Thinking we could only hike to the overlook, we did not bring our hiking poles.

Once we got to the foggy overlook, we found out the trail was open down to the lake, and decided to walk down to get out of the fog. The sights were beautiful on the way down to the lake.

Bear Precautions

We took extra precautions due to the trail having been recently closed for bear activity. Bear spray is a must on every hike in Glacier National Park. In addition to bear spray, I attached a metal whistle to the outside of my backpack that made a jingling noise while we walked and we had our bear spray in our hands instead of in the side pocket of our bags.

Most of the trail is wide open, which makes it easier to spot any bears or wildlife. There were also a lot of other people on the path. Luckily, we did not see any bears on this hike.

Hidden Lake

The hike down to Hidden Lake is very steep at parts. By the time we were about halfway down, my knees were burning and I was really wishing I had brought my poles.

Once we reached the lake, we laid out our lightweight towels and sat on the beach, taking in the view. The lake itself was very pretty, albeit cold and windy first thing in the morning. We spent about 30 minutes down at the lake before heading back up the trail.

The Return Trip

The hike back up was strenuous. It is a lot of climbing up rocks, and our legs were burning by the time we got back up to the overlook. As we reached the overlook on our return trip, the fog had completely cleared, and the view from the overlook was stunning. It was a much prettier view than we had down at the lake itself.

Honest Review

So, here is my honest review. The hike to Hidden Lake Overlook, if done on a clear time of day, is not only worth it, but a must-do hike in Glacier National Park. The spectacular views from the overlooks make this 2.6 mile roundtrip hike one of the top things to do in Glacier.

In my opinion, unless you are an avid hiker, the hike from the overlook down to the lake is not worth doing. The scenery at the lake, while pretty, was not worth the challenging and steep climb and descent.

We hiked to Grinnell Glacier the day after Hidden Lake. That is a longer roundtrip hike and just as strenuous towards the end. However, the views at Grinnell Lake and Grinnell Glacier were far superior to the view down at Hidden Lake and make that hike absolutely worth it.

Enjoy the views from Hidden Lake Overlook and save your energy (and knees) for the hike to Grinnell Glacier instead.