St Mary and Virginia Falls
Rising Sun, Glacier National Park
| Address: | Going-to-the-Sun Rd, Browning, MT 59417, USA |
| GPS: |
48°40'28.0"N 113°36'30.4"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | Montana |
| Trails/Routes: | 1.4-4.6 mi |
Rivers Waterfalls Trails Wildflowers National Park Restrooms Picnic Tables Bicycles Motorized Use
Hike
Virginia Falls is one of two major waterfalls that feed into St Mary Lake. The trail is about 3.7 miles roundtrip, where visitors will see other waterfalls such as St Mary waterfall. The trail begins at the St Mary Falls trailhead on Going-to-the-Sun road, where there is a parking lot. Becasue there are multiple waterfalls in the area, this parking lot can get full very quickly, so it might be best to head out early in the morning or take a shuttle from Many Glacier.
An easy and scenic trail, visitors will go through the forest and past streams. St Mary Falls is a two tiered waterfall with a drop of over 50 ft. If tired, there are some nice spots to sit and catch a break, as well this point can make a good turn around point.
Virginia Falls is the next waterfall hikers will see. There is an upper portion of the falls and a lower portion. Both are beautiful to see. Like most waterfalls, the best time to see them is early in the season when the snowmelt is beginning and water is tumbling over the falls.
Mapped Route/Trail Distances
| St Mary Falls Trailhead to St Mary Falls (one-way) | 1.6 miles Round Trip |
| St Mary Falls Parking Lot to St Mary Falls (one-way) | 2.2 miles Round Trip |
| Siyeh Pass Trailhead to St Mary Falls (one-way) | 3.9 miles Round Trip |
| Sun Point Nature Trail to St Mary Falls (one-way) | 4.6 miles Round Trip |
| St Mary Falls to Virginia Falls (one-way) | 1.4 miles Round Trip |
More Information
Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
Read More
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Rising Sun, Glacier National Park
- Head southwest toward Rising Sun Roadi (0.2 mi)
- Turn right onto Glacier Rte 1 Rd/Going-to-the-Sun RdParts of this road may be closed at certain times or daysDestination will be on the left(5.1 mi)
endovereric
7/2/18 1:44 pm
Virginia Falls from Continental Divide Trail courtesy of endovereric↗
Virginia Falls from near St Mary Trailhead courtesy of endovereric↗
Trail to St Mary Falls through burnt woods courtesy of endovereric↗
St Mary Falls courtesy of endovereric↗
View of the river beyond St Mary Falls courtesy of katiemia↗
Lower Waterfall courtesy of endovereric↗
Trail to Virginia Falls courtesy of endovereric↗
Other Lower Waterfall courtesy of endovereric↗
Virginia Falls courtesy of endovereric↗
St Mary Map courtesy of npmaps.com↗
Added by cteicheira
Trails
Distance ?
1.6 miles Round TripElevation Gain ?
-216 feetReal Ascent ?
61 feetReal Descent ?
277 feetAvg Grade (-3°)
-5%Grade (-12° to 5°)
-22% to 9%Distance ?
2.2 miles Round TripElevation Gain ?
-230 feetReal Ascent ?
140 feetReal Descent ?
370 feetAvg Grade (-2°)
-4%Grade (-13° to 12°)
-23% to 20%Distance ?
3.9 miles Round TripElevation Gain ?
-151 feetReal Ascent ?
365 feetReal Descent ?
516 feetAvg Grade (-1°)
-1%Grade (-17° to 21°)
-30% to 38%Distance ?
4.6 miles Round TripElevation Gain ?
-65 feetReal Ascent ?
429 feetReal Descent ?
494 feetAvg Grade (0°)
-1%Grade (-12° to 21°)
-22% to 38%Distance ?
1.4 miles Round TripElevation Gain ?
328 feetReal Ascent ?
338 feetReal Descent ?
10 feetAvg Grade (5°)
9%Grade (-3° to 15°)
-5% to 26%Elevation differences are scaled for emphasis. While the numbers are accurate, the cut-away shown here is not to scale.
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