Snyder Lake Trail |
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TRAIL POSTING: 06/23/11 from Lake McDonald Lodge to Crystal Ford for mountian lion frequenting. Sperry Trail to Snyder Lake / 2.6 mi. The trail is clear. 07/09/2011 Initial clearing scheduled for: Clear of downfall 6/22/11. Last 200 yds before lake is snow covered. 6/22/11. |
Snyder Lake Trail is one of those strenuous trails that my body knows I've hiked, but unlike Sperry Chalet Trail where I'm on the verge of collapsing at the end of the trail, when I've finished Snyder Lake Trail I'm thinking of what trail I can do tomorrow. Snyder Lake Trail shares the first two miles of it's trail with Mount Brown Trail, Fish Lake Trail and Sperry Chalet Trail. The shared trail is heavily traveled, with eleven switch backs in the shared trail section. By the time you get to the Snyder Lake turnoff the trail has gained 1,000 feet in elevation. Mount Brown Trail, which is the first trail that branches off the Sperry Chalet Trail is the steepest of the day hikes in Glacier National Park! After passing Mount Brown Trail turnoff you will come to the Snyder Lake Trail turnoff again on your left. The Snyder Lake Trail it is not as wide as the shared trail.
This turnoff is about the half way point in both elevation gain and distance. Shortly after the turnoff onto Snyder Lake Trail the forest changes from a relatively dry forest to a very wet forest. Large cedars and cottonwoods are found along the trail. The remainder of the Snyder Lake trail is a steady but not overly steep climb up to the tarn that forms Snyder Lake. At the lake I had to get through deep snow in several places to get this photo of Snyder Lake in June of 2007 a 'light' snow year. Snyder Lake is one of the easiest of the strenuous hikes in the park, Iceberg Trail gets my vote as the easiest strenuous hike. In the fall the colors around the lake are very striking. Bring a water filter to replenish your water supply at Snyder Lake.
Snyder Lake bottom is silty, the water is generally clear so you can see the fish
but the glacier flur is long gone so there is none of the turquoise coloring to this lake.
Little Matterhorn from the shore of Snyder Lake, Glacier Park Montana
(there are several Little Matterhorn's in the US)
From Avalanche Lake you can see the northern face of Little Matterhorn.
The Snyder Lake Trail can be very wet in the spring, bring extra socks.
Melting snow runoff crosses the trail in numerous places in the spring.
If you time it right there can be lots of wildflowers along the Snyder Lake Trail. These flowers were taken in early June 2007. Snow on the trail had just melted.
Bear Sign. I don't hike in the park without bear spray.
