Located in the iconic Glacier National Park, Cracker Lake is one of the stunning, glacial fed lakes that make this place so iconic! With striking blue waters, and set below the towering north face of Mt Siyeh, one of the highest peaks in Glacier, Cracker Lake is a magical destination!
Located in the Many Glacier region of Glacier National Park, Cracker Lake is reached via a long but moderate trail through Glacier’s trademark pine forest and alpine valleys. Though the hike isn’t all that difficult, this trail is a bit more of an adventure than you might expect! I did this trail near the end of July 2021, and while thick smoke was blanketing much of the west, the beauty here was undiminished!
Miles/Elevation:
12 miles
1,650 feet vertical gain
About Glacier National Park:
Check out our full guide to Glacier National Park if you’re planning a visit!
Called the “Crown of the Continent,” Glacier National Park is one of the highlights of the National Park System. Located in northern Montana along the border with Canada, Glacier is one of the most rugged regions of the Rocky Mountains. The mountains here have been carved out by intense glaciation, so visitors are graced with views of some of the most dramatic mountains in North America.
At just over 1 million acres, Glacier National Park is a gigantic wild playground! Criss-crossing those million acres are over 700 miles of hiking trails, from short boardwalks to multi-day backpacking routes! Whether it’s hiking, climbing, or camping, there’s lots of it here!
Named for the glaciers that sculpted this place, Glacier National Park contains one of the greatest concentrations of glaciers in the lower 48. 25 glaciers still remain active today! While in scale the glaciers here pale in comparison to the behemoths of Alaska and the polar regions, a full fledged glacier is a pretty cool thing to see. Hurry though because unfortunately they’re shrinking quickly!
Getting to the Trailhead:
The trailhead to reach Cracker Lake is located in the Many Glacier region of Glacier National Park. Located in the northeast corner of the park, Many Glacier is one of the more remote regions of Glacier.
From wherever you are (unless it’s Canada) take highway 89 north from St Mary towards the town of Babb. Once you reach Babb, turn left onto Route 3 and continue towards the mountains. As of the summer of 2021, Route 3 was torn up and under construction, so the road surface was rough gravel, not pavement. The road will eventually be paved again.
Once in the park and through the entrance station, continue into the Many Glacier region of the park and turn left towards the Many Glacier Hotel. Do not park at the hotel itself. Rather, continue around the corner towards the large parking lot and the horse stables. Park here, and set off on the trail on the south side of the parking lot!
Cracker Lake Trail:
The Lower Trail:
From the trailhead near Many Glacier Hotel, the trail immediately enters the lush forest of Glacier’s high country and begins a short and mellow descent. This initial descent takes you towards the western banks of Lake Sherborne, and while the forest itself is very thick and overgrown, the trail cuts a neat path through the foliage.
Make a visit to Glacier the highlight of an epic road trip!
After a short descent, you will find yourself along the banks of Lake Sherborne. This lake isn’t the reason you’re on this trail, but in the mornings, it can provide an incredible spectacle! If you’re here for sunrise, the glow of the morning light will illuminate the sky, and the cliffs beyond will reflect off the still placid water! While the skies were smoky on my hike, the hazy sunrise here was still incredible!
Consider purchasing an America the Beautiful Pass if you are visiting Glacier!
After reaching Lake Sherborne, you’ll have an easy mile of walking through the forest around the south west edge of the lake. I’ve seen a lot of reviews of this hike complaining about the amount of horse poo on this hike, specifically through this segment.
According to some, it’s the worst they’ve ever seen! Poo was literally flowing down the mountains! I didn’t think it was that bad, and having been on a number of trails shared with horses this is pretty par for the course. It really didn’t impact my enjoyment of the hike, but yes, there is a bit of horse poo to avoid!
Climbing Through the Forest:
At the 1.4 and 1.7 mile mark of the hike, you’ll encounter a pair of intersections. Stay right at each, and then you’ll be on the first climb of the day.
The first major ascent of this hike takes you from the lower elevation pine forest along the banks of Lake Sherborne into the valley leading towards Cracker Lake. You start with a set of moderate switchbacks that climb through dense forest. You won’t have much for views on the switchbacks, but you do at least make quick progress.
After a bit under 300 feet of climbing, you’ll complete the first set of switchbacks and emerge onto a relatively small forested ridge. Compared to the peaks surrounding you, this ridge is minuscule, but it will give you some decent views looking around in your immediate vicinity and up the valley!
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
After another short set of switchbacks, you’ll emerge out of the lower forest and at the bottom of a massive alpine valley. This is the valley that you’ll be following all the way up to Cracker Lake!
Alternating between high forest and rocky scree fields, this trail takes you further and further into the alpine. Views are consistently solid looking both up valley and back the way you came, but the real payoff comes at the end!
About a mile and a quarter past the upper switchbacks you’ll encounter a creek crossing. There may be a small wooden bridge offering an easy dry crossing, but you should be prepared to rock hop across too!
The big negative of this trail, specifically in this upper valley, is the overgrown junk you have to hike through. It’s not the worst or most overgrown trail I’ve ever hiked on, but for a national park trail, it’s pretty bad to be honest. Just check yourself for ticks from time to time or wear long pants and long sleeves and you should be fine! I also may have an irrational annoyance with plants rubbing on me (we can talk about that some other time)!
Approaching Cracker Lake:
As you near Cracker Lake, you’ll start hiking up and over a set of rolling hills of scree and light foliage. It’s kind of crazy, but you’re actually reaching the treeline at this point! You’re only at about 6,000 feet, but at this northern latitude, I guess the trees don’t grow very high!
I kept expecting the lake to be just over the next rise, but it kept eluding me! Hill after hill, the lake never came! I’m being dramatic, but there’s a few knolls and rises to make your way over, but none are all that large. As the trees keep thinning, you’re getting closer!
This is grizzly country so make sure you are bear safe!
Eventually, you’ll finally crest a knoll and splayed out beneath you will be the turquoise waters of Cracker Lake! You’ll likely have been noticing the enormous face of Mt Siyeh for a while now, and while the upper cliffs make a great view, seeing the water beneath it really completes the picture!
Cracker Lake is a long and narrow body of water, and from where you first catch a glimpse, you’re actually about 100 feet above the water’s surface. The view from this perch above the lake provides an amazing vantage point however, and the view is jaw dropping!
Always follow basic trail etiquette when on trail!
If you’re still feeling energetic, the trail does continue along the left bank towards the Cracker Lake Campground, a primitive backcountry campground for overnight users. If you want to get up close and personal with the water, you’ll have to hike to the far side of the lake where the trail reaches the water here. I actually didn’t go all the way to the campground myself. I felt like the views were plenty good from my elevated perch!
Hiking Out:
After hanging out at Cracker Lake for a good while, I eventually headed out and made my way back down the trail. The descent is really easy. There’s basically no elevation gain at all on the way out (except for a tiny climb to the trailhead itself), and even the descents are pretty gentle.
The most exciting moment of the descent came only about 20 minutes into it. I was back into the forest, and visibility was only a few yards on either side of the trail. Then, I heard rustling in the trees just off the left side of the trail. I stopped, quietly pulled my bear spray from it’s holster on my hip, and waited.
The next noise I heard was a groan coming from the woods on the left side of the trail. I waited where I was, and then I heard it again, this time obviously a bit further away. I walked tentatively up to the next bend in the trail, and about 20 yards off the side of the trail, there was a massive brown animal moving through the trees!
Once I got a clear view, I saw it was actually a bull moose, not a grizzly! I was pretty relieved to see that it wasn’t a bear to be honest, although in reality, a bull moose is probably more dangerous than a grizzly bear! Anyway, I stopped to take a few pictures, and then after admiring this amazing animal for a couple of minutes, I left it to enjoy it’s forest in peace!
The rest of the hike out was uneventful. The views definitely peak at Cracker Lake, and while you do have some things to look at on the way out, the views don’t compare to the lake itself. Overall, this was an enjoyable hike, though when I got back to the trailhead after 5 miles of uneventful hiking, I was ready to be done!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 8/10
This is a classic great destination, underwhelming journey, hike. Cracker Lake itself is one of the better alpine lakes I’ve been to. The color, the background, all of it is awesome! The trail getting there though, not so much.
It would be one thing if the trail just didn’t have a ton of great views, or was overgrown in spots, or had a bunch of horse poo, but this one has all of those. The hike getting to Cracker Lake honestly just isn’t that great. I could give you a dozen other trails in Glacier alone that make for better hiking, but the incredible beauty of Cracker Lake still makes this hike worth doing!
For that reason, this trail deserves an 8/10: a good hike, but not one I’d travel cross country to do, and certainly not the best Glacier has to offer!
Pros:
- Beautiful views
- Amazing alpine lake
- Wildlife viewing opportunities
Cons:
- Long overgrown sections
- Long sections with no views
- Busy
Alternative Hikes:
Avalanche Lake via Trail of the Cedars
When to Hike to Cracker Lake:
Consider checking out the Beartooth Mountains in southern Montana!
This trail will take you to around 6,000 feet in a northern state, in a place known for its glaciers, so the biggest factor to consider is snow! There will likely be snow here until well into May, and probably into June. Peak hiking season in Montana is July and August, but you should be able to hike to Cracker Lake from June to September or October.
I generally prefer hiking early in the season, but all I can say is the best time to hike this loop is once the snow has melted. Whether that’s May or June is impossible to say. Keep an eye on the conditions, or just wait until late June and you should be good pretty much any year! Although, the fall colors here would be awesome!
Links for Further Reading:
Cracker Lake Trail – Montana | AllTrails
Hike to Cracker Lake in Glacier National Park
