St Mary and Virginia Falls hike

Start the 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 1.0km, 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 15m 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!

Would you like to find more epic hikes in Glacier National Park? Check out the classics: Grinnell Glacier and Piegan Pass.