2 Less Visited Areas in Glacier National Park (That Are Just as Stunning as the Famous Ones)

Glacier National Park draws millions of visitors a year, and most of them funnel into the same areas: Going-to-the-Sun Road, Lake McDonald, and Many Glacier. On this trip my husband Ross and I discovered that some of the park’s most rewarding scenery is hiding in plain sight in the Two Medicine and North Fork regions, areas many visitors skip entirely.

We explored Glacier’s classic sights back in 2015. When we returned this time for our anniversary, we set out to find the park’s less-visited corners instead. What we found were quieter trails, dramatic waterfalls, and a lake accessible only by dirt road, all without the crowds. I was also nursing a bad cold on this trip, so every hike below tops out at easy-to-moderate difficulty, making this guide especially useful if you want big views without a brutal climb.

Note: while these areas see fewer visitors than the park’s headline attractions, “less visited” in Glacier still potentially means some crowds during peak summer, plan accordingly.

First, Revisiting Some of Glacier’s Classic Hikes

Before heading off the beaten path, we returned to two of our favorite hikes from 2015: Avalanche Lake and Hidden Lake Overlook, plus a scenic drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road with some stops at overviews along the way.

Avalanche Lake was just as breathtaking as we remembered. We timed our visit for sunrise and had the trail almost entirely to ourselves before the day-trippers arrived.

Hidden Lake Overlook was equally beautiful, though noticeably more crowded than it had been in 2015.

On to why you clicked on this post to begin with, the areas we decided to focus on this trip included the North Fork area and Two Medicine. We were hoping to hike more in Many Glacier but part of the road was closed at the time we were there. 

Two Medicine: Glacier’s Quiet Side

The Two Medicine Valley on the park’s eastern side is often overshadowed by Going-to-the-Sun Road, but it delivers some of Glacier’s best wildlife habitat and waterfall scenery with a fraction of the traffic.

Running Eagle Falls (Trick Falls)

Running Eagle Falls, also known as Trick Falls, is a unique waterfall in that the lower part of the falls comes through the rock face and upper falls over the rock face when the water level is high. In the spring water rushes over the upper fall and can be so abundant that the lower fall is completely hidden. Later in summer, as flows decrease, the water seems to change course and flow almost exclusively out of the lower fall, giving it its nickname of Trick Falls. Running Eagle Falls is a rare “trick falls” that in the spring appears to be a normal waterfall but when the water flow decreases you can see that it has an upper and lower falls, the lower of which seems to flow out of the rock face.

Note that while this waterfall is in a lesser visited area of Glacier, its accessibility does make it crowded at times. It was pretty quiet when we went in September but I have heard it can be crowded in the summer months.

Rockwell Falls

Starting from the South Shore Trailhead at Two Medicine Lake, the Rockwell Falls Trail is a moderate 6.7-mile out-and-back hike with some of the best lake views in the park right from the trailhead. The route crosses Paradise Creek via a suspension bridge and passes several worthwhile side trails.

We added two short detours: Aster Falls (about 0.4 miles extra) on the way out, and Paradise Point (roughly 0.25 miles off-trail) on the way back. Both were worth the extra steps.

Two Medicine is considered one of Glacier’s best regions for wildlife sightings, though we didn’t spot anything notable on our hike.

North Fork: Glacier’s Remote Frontier

Polebridge

A visit to the North Fork isn’t complete without a stop at Polebridge, a tiny, historic outpost we’d wanted to visit since our 2015 trip. The Polebridge Mercantile is the heart of it. Don’t skip the huckleberry bear claws; they’re a local legend for good reason.

Bowman Lake

Bowman Lake stays quiet largely because it’s reachable only by an unpaved, pothole-riddled dirt road that can be a challenge for low-clearance vehicles. We rented a Jeep for the trip, which made the drive easy, but a standard sedan may want to think twice.

Rather than a long hike, we walked a short stretch of the lakeshore trail and then simply sat and took in the view. It was very peaceful in September and even in the busy months of July and August, I have heard it is much quieter than many of the other easier to get to lakes in Glacier National Park.

Helpful Tips for Visiting Glacier National Park

• Vehicle reservations are gone for 2026: as of 2026 you no longer need a reservation for entry to Going to the Sun Road.
• Logan Pass parking is now limited to three hours starting July 1, 2026; longer hikes require a shuttle reservation.
• Shuttles now require a small booking fee, reserved through recreation.gov.
• North Fork roads are rough. Kintla and Bowman Lake require driving more than 10 miles of unpaved, sometimes bumpy road. Most passenger vehicles can handle it, but go slow and check current conditions.
• Cell service is minimal to nonexistent in the North Fork and Two Medicine. Download offline maps and tell someone your plan before you head out.
• Always check NPS.gov before you go. Trail and road conditions, bear activity closures, and facility status change through the season. Many Glacier in particular has seen ongoing infrastructure work in recent years.

Have you explored the less-visited side of Glacier? Drop a comment below with your favorite hidden-gem trail, we’re always building out our list for next time.

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