After a change of plans that required us to leave Glacier National Park a day early, we were left with only ½ day in the Two Medicine area, a lesser-visited alternative to very popular Many Glacier. Unlike in Many Glacier, we opted for the boat tour this time, shaving off three miles of hiking to the get closer to the Continental Divide more quickly. We had enough time for a short hike—and the mild, 4.4-mile walk to Twin Falls and Upper Two Medicine Lake did the trick.

Like the much more popular Many Glacier, the Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park also boasts tranquil lakes, picturesque valleys, towering peaks, and a good collection of hiking trails. One solid half-day option is to combine a round-trip boat tour on Two Medicine Lake with a 4.4-mile, relatively easy hike to Upper Two Medicine Lake. The latter passes the double chutes of Twin Falls along the way before culminating at the mile-long lake, set in a cirque with high, sharp walls below Lone Walker Mountain and the Continental Divide.

The hike

Two Medicine, in the southeast quadrant of Glacier National Park, has far more modest facilities than Many Glacier. Expect only a boat dock, campground, park store, and a very small ranger station here, leaving out the frills in favor of miles of beautiful wilderness. Like elsewhere in the park, one of the highlights are the terrific sub-alpine lakes, filling the more glacial valley.

To shorten the hike to Upper Two Medicine (saving nearly six miles round-trip), take one of the morning boat tours ($20.25/round trip)—a pleasant experience in itself. The boat leaves generally every hour, running back and forth from the head and mouth of Two Medicine Lake.

The boat heads in the direction of Sinopah Mountain (8,271’), Lone Walker Mountain (8,502’), Mount Helen (8,538’), and other peaks, many of which were named by controversial early 20^th century trapper-turned-ranger Joe Cosley. The 15-minute ride ends at a modest boat dock and shelter where Two Medicine Creek flows into the lake.

From here the route to Twin Falls bears west across boggy terrain with a short boardwalk section. Come to a junction after just 1/10 mile, continuing right on the Two Medicine South Shore Trail. The mostly level trail eventually yields to its first uphill steps but then returns to an easy tread through the thick woods. After around ¼ mile, the valley ahead begins to take shape, with the babbling stream within earshot off to the right.

After about a half mile the easy trail crosses a wooden bridge over Two Medicine Creek, then within minutes reaches a second junction. Bear left this time, bearing west and south before crossing another bridge, this time over a tributary fed by No Name Lake and the snowmelt off Dawson Pass (7,598’). Hikers get a decent peek through the trees here to Pumpelly Pillar (7,620’), named for the leader of a railway survey party that passed through here in 1883.

This is also the same creek that feeds Twin Falls, and a spur trail steps beyond the creek crossing leads to the site. Here the stream divides in two, forming separate drainages that both produce 80-foot cascades. The one on the left is more impressive and more visible, with the other obscured partly by the thick undergrowth and wood debris that clogs the streamway. These are not the world’s most impressive waterfalls but a worthy detour en route to Upper Two Medicine.

When ready, return to the main trail and continue right on the Two Medicine South Shore Trail. The woody track ascends a mild incline and, about 1/3 mile from the Twin Falls spur, emerges out into an open meadow with views of the impressive granite hunks to the south and east, including Rising Bull Ridge, Mount Rockwell (9,272’), and Lone Walker Mountain (8,502’).

With the pines giving way to low scrub, pass a perennial pond down to the left, around two miles from the start. It’s still a little further from here, with a short uphill section that culminates at a small campground and Upper Two Medicine Lake.

The lake is notable for its relative vastness—large relative to many others in the park at this elevation. The V-shaped valley ends at a headwall with a low but inaccessible lip, set just below Lone Walker Mountain. A small rocky beach offers a spot to hang and admire the view, and there is a large collection of fallen trunks at the mouth of the lake.

Not bad for a surprisingly easy 2.2-mile one-way hike, assisted of course by the round-trip boat trip. When ready, return the way you came, heading back through the woods and floodplain to the boat dock and shelter. If you’re feeling ambitious, it’s possible to skip the boat and hike all the way back to Two Medicine, about 5 miles one-way from Upper Two Medicine Lake.