Hiking the Johns Lake Loop Trail in Glacier National Park
Distance: 2.0 miles / 3.2 km
The Johns Lake Loop Trail is actually a collection of a few different trails that create this short and easy two-mile loop around Johns Lake and Upper McDonald Creek on the west side of Glacier National Park.
Unfortunately, because of construction on Going-to-the-Sun Road, I was not able to complete the full loop. Still, I was able to hike the trail as far as Johns Lake, which is what’s shown below.
Johns Lake Loop Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Johns Lake Loop Trail is typically in one of three different areas.
The first and most popular is the Johns Lake Trailhead, which is the most popular because this is the closest you can park to Johns Lake. These are the photos below off Going-to-the-Sun-Road.
The second is where the loop turns into the Upper McDonald Creek Trail, located just a little further up Sun Road.
Finally, the last parking area is located directly off of North Lake McDonald Road just prior to the North Lake McDonald Historic Ranger Station. All three are linked below.
Google Maps Directions:
Hiking Checklist - Glacier
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Glacier National Park.
Hiking the Johns Lake Loop Trail
This post is written from the Johns Lake Trailhead, which, as I mentioned, is the closest available parking area to the lake, at only 0.5 miles (0.8 km) away.
Upper McDonald Creek-Avalanche Junction
Within the first 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Johns Lake Loop splits with the trail that heads south toward the Lake McDonald Lodge.
Go left to continue toward Johns Lake.
Horse Loop-McDonald Creek Cutoff Junction
Then, within another 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the trail comes to another split with the horse loop that parallels the Johns Lake Trail, followed almost immediately by the Upper McDonald Creek split.
Stay straight at the first, then go right at the second to continue on to Johns Lake.
Past the three junctions above, the Johns Lake Loop follows the same trail for the remainder of the hike to the lake.
As the trail approaches Johns Lake, you’ll likely start noticing the water off to the left side.
I never saw one best trail to go and see lake, so I simply followed one of the many paths that headed toward the water.
Johns Lake
Perhaps there is a better viewpoint further down the loop, but from what I can tell, the loop starts to make its way back to Sun Road to begin the Upper McDonald Creek side of the hike.
In either case, I will have to return someday when the full loop trail is open.
