Baring Falls Hike

The Baring Falls Hike at Glacier National Park near Saint Mary, Montana is an easy 0.7-mile out-and-back hike that leads to two waterfalls within Baring Creek -- the 25-foot tall Baring Falls and shorter multi-tiered waterfall, Upper Baring Falls.

Trails

This hike follows two named trails to reach Baring Falls in the following order: Siyeh Pass Trail, Piegan Pass Trail.

Hiking to Baring Falls

This hike begins along the Going-to-the-Sun Road at the Sunrift Gorge parking area. Hikers will find the trailhead, a stone staircase, adjacent to the Baring Creek Bridge. Head down the stairs to reach a quick hit to view small waterfalls within Sunrift Gorge, located underneath the bridge. Within Sunrift Gorge are colorful rocks at the bottom of the crystal-clear creek which starts the hike off with beautiful scenery, so it's worth it to explore the gorge for a few minutes before you hike downstream.

Upper Baring Falls - Mile 0.06

After exploring a bit of Sunrift Gorge, this route leads hikers downhill along the northern side of Baring Creek as it follows the Siyeh Pass Trail. Just a couple-hundred feet from the parking lot is Upper Baring Falls, located around mile 0.06 (318-feet) from the trailhead. Upper Baring Falls is a multi-tiered waterfall with three cascades that spills down the creek at about 12-feet tall. At the bottom of the waterfall is light-colored bedrock that creates a turquoise-tinted pool of water. Hikers will find a nice downstream view of the same waterfall located just down the Siyeh Pass Trail.

Hiking the Piegan Pass Trail - Mile 0.25

As you make your way down the Siyeh Pass Trail, you'll find views of Saint Mary Lake and Mahtotopa Mountain straight ahead. Around mile 0.25, you'll reach a trail junction with the Piegan Pass Trail. Here, take a right-hand turn to head directly to Baring Falls. Along the way to the waterfall, you'll find views of Little Chief Mountain and Dusty Star Mountain towering over Saint Mary Lake and the wildfire-destroyed evergreen forest. Just before Baring Falls, hikers will cross a wooden footbridge with a scenic view of the creek's colorful rocks an crystal-clear water below and towering ramparts of alpine mountains overhead.

Baring Falls (approx. 25-feet tall) - Mile 0.37

Around mile 0.37 in the route provided, hikers will reach the 25-foot tall Baring Falls as it plunges over a cliff of red-tinted bedrock. Like other nearby waterfalls in Glacier National Park, the crystal-clear water along with the light-colored bedrock in the cascade's pool reflects with a turquoise-colored tint. The colors create a beautiful juxtaposition of red-tinted bedrock and blue-hued water and makes for one of the easiest and most-scenic waterfall hikes in the park. You can choose to hang around Baring Falls to enjoy its natural beauty as there's plenty of space to spread out from other hikers below the cascade or you can choose to hike to Saint Mary Falls and Virginia Falls, located to the west for a longer day hike. We chose to explore those waterfalls on a separate hike instead of following the "Three Falls Hike" that many visitors do.

The hike back to parking is simple, just hike back the same way you came in. Enjoy the views of Saint Mary Lake and its surrounding alpine mountains as you make your way back.

Three Falls Hike

Please note that this out-and-back hike is part of the very-popular "Three Falls Hike" at Glacier National Park. Many people start this hike at the Sun Point trailhead (aka Three Falls Hike Trailhead) and opt to explore Baring Falls before hiking onward to Saint Mary Falls & Virginia Falls, making for a longer day hike. We, however, decided to explore Saint Mary Falls and Virginia Falls separately for a 3.8-mile out-and-back hike. To each their own, however, if you choose to explore these waterfalls separately note that you may need to be savvy when it comes to finding a parking spot -- whether that means you show up early or late in the day or you stick around and wait for a parking space to open, as these lots fill up quickly each morning.

Vehicle Reservations

Depending on what time of year you visit, you may need to reserve a vehicle entrance pass to get into the park, in addition to a park entry fee (or annual National Parks pass). Before planning this hike, ensure you've checked the NPS website for when and where Glacier NP vehicle reservations are required.

Parking

Visitors will find a medium-sized parking lot at the coordinates provided, located along the Going-to-the-Sun Road at the Sunrift Gorge area. The parking lot is large enough to accommodate about 10 vehicles as of September 2024. This parking lot is extra-popular so it fills up quickly each morning.

Pets

Dogs are not allowed on any trails at Glacier National Park.

Warning

Grizzly bears: This trail is frequented often by grizzly bears, especially in late Summer and early Fall as they scrounge for 20 hours/day bulking for the winter. Always give wild animals plenty of space, including several hundred feet for grizzlies. It's best to bring bear spray on this hike as a last defense just in case a grizzly were to charge at you. Always make plenty of noise while hiking to alert animals to your presence long before you see them. It's also smart to hike with another person.