Hiking and Photographing Hidden Lake in Glacier National Park
One of the best things to do in Glacier National Park is the Hidden Lake trail, which leads 1.5 miles into the wilderness to a hidden jewel of a glacial lake with sapphire waters nestled in emerald meadows. If you could do only one thing, this is certainly a candidate as it rewards you not only with amazing views but wildlife.
The trail starts at the back of the visitor center. Parking is usually full by 10 a.m., meaning if you don't get there early you'll be circling the lot for a minimum of 15 minutes before finding a spot, potentially a half hour. This is the situation throughout the park. Most people parking at Logan Pass visitor center take the Hidden Lake trail, which is a minimum of 2.5 hours for the average person, so those cars aren't moving in and out like at McDonald's. Parking is one of the reasons the government is considering shutting down the park to visitors' vehicles and going to a shuttle system. Good luck with that. The government can't even count its own fingers let alone run a competent shuttle system in a park.
What they should be worried about is hiring more friendly rangers. You may need to stay 100 yards from a bear, but I recommend staying double that distance from a ranger. I'm not exactly sure what particular bug they have up their craws about photographers, but there's a big one. This is stupid, since photographers like Ansel Adams played a huge part in preserving the national parks and ultimately creating jobs for rangers, and photographs today continue to not only bring visitors to the parks but support the parks, so treating photographers and other visitors poorly will be their own undoing. But be warned; rangers are police, and if you look like any sort of photographer, they will hassle you. Do not make eye contact, and do not feel obliged to talk to them if you're not doing anything wrong. If one hassles you, take his name and and photo and post it, which is what I'll be doing from now on.
The hike to Hidden Lake is somewhat strenuous, but almost anyone can complete it. I you have no experience with what to bring, you'll be safe with about 24 oz. of water and one or two energy bars. In July, I brought a fleece to go over my base layer, but it was totally unnecessary. Once you begin the hike, you'll be warm enough without it. If you're a person who tends to be colder, keep the fleece, but have a way to stow it if you need to take it off. Heavy boots are unnecessary. I had medium weight boots and they might have been a touch too much, but I like a little hardness to my sole and waterproofness. A light shoe is OK, but be warned you'll be crossing several areas of jagged rocks, streams and likely snow. Sunscreen is recommended.
Yes, that's my tripod. And yes, that's a mountain goat walking past it. Traffic is busy at Hidden Lake overlook, not just with people but wildlife. An opening just to the right of the platform is a great place for photos, however, so I camped out there.
The trail is also in bear country, so bear spray is recommended. There's always people on the trail during the day, but that won't help you if a bear attacks you and not the person next to you. You can't count on other people to spray or deter the bear. On my visit, the trail going down to the lake was closed due to bear activity.
When you get to Hidden Lake overlook, be prepared to encounter mountain goats. It's ideal to stay at least 25 yards from them, but this can't always be helped. As you can see in the image above, not only is the overlook crowded with people but it can be with goats as well. One crossed behind my tripod, and a little one repeatedly crossed the area. They walk the ledge in front of the overlook as well as the meadow below.
With several photo stops and about an hour at the overlook, my total trail time was about 5 hours. The average person could probably do it in 2.5 to 3 without many stops. When you get to the overlook, to the right of the platform is an opening in the trees and a crop of rocks. This is a great place to set up the tripod and shoot the vista. I would avoid taking serious shots on the platform because too many people walking on it creates vibrations in the lens. This problem occurs throughout the boardwalk parts of the trail. The overlook is also a great place to rest and snack up for the hike down.
I made this self portrait of myself on Hidden Lake trail with a tripod and self timer.
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