Rocky Point – Winter Trail

My hubby, Jim and I agree that winter is pretty spectacular in NW Montana. Especially in Glacier National Park, where the crowds are non-existent. We had a rare, blue-sky day to explore the Rocky Point Trail and it was stunningly beautiful. In today’s post, I’ll share details of our winter adventure to Rocky Point in Glacier National Park.

Normally, we’d drive to the Rocky Point trailhead via the road, but it is closed in winter. You’ll drive into the West Glacier entrance, then turn left and drive until you see the gate. You can park in the small lot or on the road then start your hike to Rocky Point. It was about 6 miles, since we stopped at Fish Creek to check out the view from the Lake McDonald shoreline. There is some elevation gain, but not much and the slippery, uneven snow and ice was more of a challenge. There was not enough snow for snowshoes, so we wore crampons. Some folks were cross-country skiing, but the xc-skiing trails were a mess.

Check out Ski Trailer this couple had for their little one:

You’ll walk past a small neighborhood on Crist Road, where folks actually own single family homes in the park. Many of these homes have been in the same family for generations. A few are available to rent but be prepared to pay a lot! One rental we checked was $1,400 a night offseason.

We followed Crist Rd until we got to the Fish Creek Bike Path, then continued through the campground. We saw several small groups of people walking along the road towards Lake McDonald and Fish Creek. It’s easy to walk down to the lake from the Fish Creek picnic area, where gorgeous views of the lake are framed by mountains.

We met two nice local couples on the beach and chatted for a few minutes as we took in the views. We left the beach and started toward the campground and crossed a footbridge over Fish Creek. The water was swiftly bubbling toward the lake and looked pretty surrounded by snow. We also passed the ghostly quiet outdoor amphitheater. In the Fish Creek Campground, we veered towards the left to continue on towards Rocky Point. At just over a half mile from the trailhead, you’ll arrive at another trail branching in from the Fish Creek Campground. Hikers should proceed straight ahead at this junction.

Past the creek, the trail winds toward the shore of Lake McDonald before ascending to Rocky Point. The overlook provides stunning views to the south and east.

For most of its length the Rocky Point Trail passes through the ravages of the massive Robert Fire that scorched almost 40,000 acres along the shores of Lake McDonald in 2003. The fire was so intense that flames reached a height of 500 feet along Howe Ridge, just to the north of the trail. 2003 marked the fifth year of a five-year drought and became one of the worst fire seasons in Glacier National Park history. That summer more than 136,000 acres burned in Glacier. That represents 13% of the park!

Winter Hiking Conditions

Expect snow when hiking this trail in winter. We started early in the morning when the snow was frozen, making crampons sufficient. However, if you go later in the day, you may need snowshoes as the snow softens under the sun.

Wildlife

Although we didn’t see much wildlife on our hike, this is grizzly country, so always carry bear spray within quick reach. Even in winter, bears may wake from hibernation, so it’s best to be prepared. We did see a few birds and snowshoe hare tracks during our walk.

Spring has sprung in NW Montana! We’ve had some beautiful, sunny and warm days to work in the garden. We’ve planted more native shrubs in east garden, as well as added daffodils and grape hyacinths to pots out front. We ordered and put together an 8′ x 16′ greenhouse, as well as raised garden beds. We’ve also hired Brandon, owner of Bigfork Lawn and Fence to install a fence around the garden, as well as deliver more gravel and move some large boulders for us. You can read more about our edible garden in my last post linked below.