St Mary and Virginia Falls Route Guide
Table of contents
Route Description for St Mary and Virginia Falls
Start the St Mary and Virginia Falls hike descending through a recently burned forest with views up to Mahtotopa Mountain and Little Chief Mountain. The well signposted trail is wide and has few obstructions.
After a 1 km, you will reach the St. Mary River and shortly hear the roaring of St. Mary falls. A few hundred meters later you will reach the bridge crossing right in front of the falls. The stunning three level falls are worth a few minutes to soak in. If this is as far as you are going take in the mist then return the way you came.
Continuing along the trail leads to Virginia Falls. The path starts to climb gently as you enter a dense, lush forest. The trail becomes slightly narrower, but is still clear and well signposted. You will pass a small series of waterfalls, however these are not Virginia Falls. They are nonetheless photogenic and give great views of Little Chief Mountain behind them.
Finally, you will reach the end of the trail where the 15 m Virginia fall lies. The gorgeous mist that rolls from the falls are fantastic on hot August days. The multilayer falls have multiple viewpoints, all very stunning. From Virginia Falls, you can see Goat Mountain peaking out above the trees from across the valley.
Return the way you came and make sure to take the turnoff towards the St. Mary parking lot, not to the shuttle stop!
Trail highlights
St Mary Falls
Located in Glacier National Park, Montana, the Saint Mary Falls are a three-tiered waterfall that plunges 11 m into a churning pool of glacier water below. While there are a few other waterfalls that can be found within the park, these are few and far between, making the easily accessible Saint Mary Falls a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
Virginia Falls
Along with the Saint Mary Falls, the Virginia Falls are one of the few easily-accessible waterfalls within Glacier National Park and both can be witnessed along the same hike! Dropping roughly 15 m over a near-vertical rock wall, the cascading water of the falls crash down onto the rock below and flow downstream along Virginia Creek, providing a picturesque view for hikers in the area.
Find more epic hikes in Glacier National Park
Getting to the St Mary and Virginia Falls Trailhead
Enter through the St. Mary Entrance Station and continue along the Going-To-The-Sun Road 17.1 km until you see the trailhead for St. Mary Falls. Park in the small parking lot if you can, or try to find a spot along the road elsewhere. This short hike can be done in the evening when the crowds are thinner.Route Information for St Mary and Virginia Falls
When to do:
June through October
Backcountry Campsites:
No
Toilets:
Trailhead
Family friendly:
Yes
Route Signage:
Average
Crowd Levels:
Moderate
Route Type:
Out and back
St Mary and Virginia Falls Elevation Graph
Weather Forecast
Check Area WeatherReviews for St Mary and Virginia Falls
Worth the whole trip. Just beautiful!
- Trip Length
- 02:00
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
I adore the thunderous falls! It was bloody nice!
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- Physical Difficulty
Spectacular! The falls are so surreal and the water is so clear and the ambiance is like no other. You must go !!
- Trip Length
- 02:00
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
It's gorgeous and not very crowded even though we started around 2 in the afternoon.
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
The falls looks spectacular with all the lush green forest surroundings!
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
The falls looks mermerzing! We enjoyed walking around the area.
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- Physical Difficulty
Stunning lakes for a morning stroll! A calm breaking dawn here reflects the surrounding mountains!
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
Very dramatic and cool falls. I did it early and it looks so surreal.
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
It was a pretty short but dynamic hike. The routes were easy to follow, while there were some narrow trails.
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
This hike was beautiful a little longer as I hiked fr sun point to see baring falls st Mary falls and Virginia falls as well as spending some time at st Mary falls basking in the sun and having some lunch. Great easy hike w Virginia falls being the highlight. Glad I did this one!
- Trip Length
- 03:00
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
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