Best 100 Miles: Boulder Pass Trail, Glacier National Park, MT
These 6 miles of pristine wilderness are among the best 100 miles of trail in the whole national park system.
6 miles / Pristine
There are no disappointing trails in Glacier. But to see the place at the apex of its glory—snow-scrubbed peaks, precipitous cliffs, meadows flush with Skittle-colored blooms and gigantic waterfalls—head to the park’s remote northwestern corner. Climb from the shores of Bowman Lake and skirt the vertical headwall of Hole in the Wall, a 1,200-foot hanging glacier valley. You’ll wind up in the snowfield-speckled high country and the cherry on top of the trip: the alpine zone connecting 6,255-foot Brown Pass and 7,478-foot Boulder Pass. Press on to the latter, a 2-mile-long gap dotted with tiny, bright blue pools and eastern views of Thunderbird Mountain, Mt. Chapman, and back down to Hole in the Wall.
Trailhead 48.888586, -114.200907
Total hike 38.8 miles (out and back).
Camping Allowed at Hole in the Wall and two other designated sites on the Bowman Lake Trail. Request permits through lottery starting January 1 ($5/person/night) or get a walk-up permit 24 hours ahead.
Infonps.gov/glac
See the other best miles
