Located in the Glacier County region of Glacier National Park, Baring Falls is a small 30ft waterfall that does not require too much effort to reach.
Nestled between the beautiful St. Mary Lake and the Going-to-the-Sun Road, Baring Falls is one of the park’s few waterfall landmarks that don’t require a long and rigorous hike.
Baring Falls, Glacier County Stats
- Elevation: 4684 feet
- Latitude:67699
- Longitude: -113.59355
- How to Get There: Baring Falls, Montana, can be reached via a 0.3-mile hike from the Sunrift Gorge Trailhead along the Going-to-the-Sun Road that cuts right through the park.
Recreation Activities
Hiking
Located along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, Baring Falls does not require a particularly long hike to reach. In fact, from the nearest trailhead, visitors will only need to walk about 0.3-miles from the road before arriving at the falls.
With that said, there are plenty of other hiking opportunities around Baring Falls and Lake St. Mary for those that want to extend their journey through the beautiful lakeside in Glacier County.
With hundreds of trails weaving their way through the park, visitors can begin their journey to the falls from a different trailhead, or they can start from the falls and venture into the park’s backcountry.
Fishing
Baring Falls offers plenty of fantastic fishing opportunities, but the best fishing experience is provided by the nearby St. Mary Lake.
Only a short jaunt from the falls, the lake features populated schools of Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, and West slope Cutthroat Trout.
With that said, as the official State Fish of Montana, Cutthroat Trout are a protected species and must be released upon catch.
Camping
While the hike to Baring Falls does not require a multi-day trek and can be done in as little as 20 minutes, there are still plenty of fantastic opportunities for visitors to camp in the park surrounding the landmark.
Whether basing around the falls for recreational camping along St. Mary Lake or stopping off for a night along another backcountry trail, the Rising Sun Campground offers an excellent spot for pitching a tent approximately 4.5 miles from the falls along the shores of the lake.
Permits are required when camping in Glacier National Park’s backcountry, so be sure to register for your site in advance.
Trail Routes
Baring Falls from Sunrift Gorge
The easiest way to reach Baring Falls is through the Sunrift Gorge Trailhead. Starting from the Going-to-the-Sun Road, visitors can park their car at the lot directly next to the trailhead and start their hike along the Siyeh Pass Trail.
To reach the falls, guests will follow the path for approximately 0.3 miles, at which point they will come to a fork in the road and take a right.
Continuing along the route for less than 0.1 miles, visitors will cross a footbridge over the creek, where they will arrive at breathtaking views of the falls.
Those only interested in the falls will head back to the trailhead and can complete the full out and back hike in under 40 minutes.
However, there are plenty of more beautiful attractions around St. Mary Lake, and visitors are encouraged to continue their exploration of the park.
Three Falls Trail
For those that prefer spending a little more time exploring the excellent hiking paths of Glacier National Park, the Three Falls Trail not only passes by Baring Falls, but guests will also be able to view St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls.
The 6-mile out and back hike starts at the Sun Point Trailhead near the parking lot and follows the shore of St. Mary Lake to the east. Within the first mile, the path crosses in front of Baring Falls. Visitors will continue along the way to St. Mary Falls before continuing to their final destination, Virginia Falls.
The Three Falls Trail packs all three wonderous waterfalls into one fantastic hike that takes approximately two and a half hours to complete, including the return trip.
Mary Lake Trail to Red Eagle Trail
Starting from the Sun Point Trailhead, the St. Mary Lake Trail follows the same path as Three Falls Trail. However, instead of returning from Virginia Falls, the St. Mary Lake Trail continues past the third waterfall and follows the lake’s southern shore.
Passing the three beautiful waterfalls, the trail continues highlighting other features along the landscape, including the lake’s white-sand beaches.
Eventually, the course meets up with Red Eagle Trail, which hikers will follow for an additional 8.3 miles to the St. Mary visitors center, where they can catch a shuttle back to the trailhead and their cars.
The route along the two trails is approximately 20.3 miles and should be started in the early morning to give yourself enough time to complete it in a day.