Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Trail of the Cedars

Wirepec / Getty Images

Key Info

Official Website

Details

Hiking, Recreation Type
1 to 2 hours Time to Spend

4.8

Overall

Scorecard

Value

5.0
Facilities

4.0
Atmosphere

5.0

Read about how we rank Things to Do.

One of two wheelchair and stroller accessible trails in the park, Trail of the Cedars is a short loop hike – less than a mile – that begins and ends on Going-to-the-Sun Road, meaning you can hike it in either direction. The hike features a raised boardwalk that passes through a fragrant, old-growth red cedar forest, but the highlight is at the midway point. Here, you'll reach a footbridge over Avalanche Creek with sweeping views of the gorge and a stunning waterfall surrounded by rainbow-colored rocks. The only downside? Since this easy hike is accessible to visitors of all skill levels, parking is often difficult to find during peak season (July to Labor Day).

Many recent visitors touted this trail as the best walk in the park, saying it's not only an easy, accessible path, but also offers breathtaking views of the gorge and Avalanche Lake. Many recommend visiting early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid crowded parking lots, noting that the picnic grounds near McDonald Creek are a great place to break for lunch or dinner. Travelers also commented on the lovely cedar fragrance in this old-growth forest. Access to the trail is free with park admission. You'll find the trail more than 5 miles northeast of Lake McDonald Lodge. For more information on hiking, visit the NPS website.

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#1 Apgar Nature Center Housed in a small cabin built in 1929, the Apgar Nature Center sits in a grove of cedar trees and is one of the official park visitor centers. The nature ... Read more » GlacierNPS / Flickr

#2 Lake McDonald Lake McDonald, the largest lake in the park, is the major hub of activity on the west side. Carved out by massive glaciers thousands of years ago, the valley is ... Read more » GlacierNPS / Flickr

Wirepec / Getty Images

#4 Going-to-the-Sun Road Going-to-the-Sun Road is a paved, two-lane highway that snakes through Glacier National Park, dividing the park into east and west regions and crossing the Continental Divide at Logan Pass. One ... Read more » GlacierNPS / Flickr

#5 Logan Pass The visitor center at Logan Pass is located in the middle of the park off the Going-to-the-Sun Road, less than 20 miles west of the St. Mary visitor center and ... Read more » GlacierNPS / Flickr

#6 Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park In 1932, Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, and Glacier National Park partnered to create the world's first International Peace Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Both parks ... Read more » Wikimedia Commons

#7 Iceberg Lake Trail The Iceberg Lake Trail is a favorite among experienced hikers, who are treated to stunning views of Mount Wilbur, Iceberg Peak and the Continental Divide upon reaching the snow and ... Read more » GlacierNPS / Flickr

#8 Glacier Park Boat Company Tours This historic family-owned boat company dates back to 1938, when it became the first tour concession in the park. Its handcrafted wooden boats take visitors on narrated tours of Lake ... Read more » GlacierNPS / Flickr

#9 Grinnell Glacier Named for anthropologist and conservationist George Bird Grinnell, the Grinnell Glacier is one of the most-photographed attractions in the park. The Grinnell Glacier hike is a little more than 10 ... Read more » GlacierNPS / Flickr

#10 Highline Trail One of the most popular hiking trails in the park – and one of the most strenuous – the Highline Trail follows the Continental Divide and features stunning scenery of glacial valleys ... Read more » GlacierNPS / Flickr