Apgar Mountain Horse Loop

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Lake · River/Creek · Spring · Wildflowers

This trail is primarily used by the horse concessionaire. The trail breaks off of the Apgar Mountain Horse Loop (South) trail after a nice overlook of McDonald Creek and begins climbing up through a mix of burned and unburned forest. The trail is a nice trail, but can have downfall in the spring. The grade is steady at first, but this one levels off as it travels through the continued mix of forests which make for nice forest birding. It comes to the loop that wraps around up the hillside.

Taking a right has you work your way near a feeder stream, then up the hillside. The trail is a little steeper here and filtered views of Lake McDonald are nice, but the silver trees left over from the burn don't make for great photos.

As the trail gets higher, it enters a stretch towards the top of an older forest before traversing and dropping down to more of the same mix of burned and unburned forest and closing the loop.

This content was created by Jake Bramante of Hike 734. Visit hike734.com for more expert Glacier content and maps that help you decide which trail to hike.

Forest flowers such as arnica in the spring and fireweed in early summer. Many forest birds such as wrens, chickadees, and woodpeckers. Potential for deer and the occasional bear.