Akokala Lake

Starting from the Bowman Lake Ranger Station, this trail wastes no time pulling you away from the crowds and into Glacier's quieter northwest corner. The first mile or so follows the north shore of Bowman Lake through dense cedar and hemlock forest before the path veers uphill toward Akokala Lake. The climb is steady but never punishing — about the same elevation gain you'd get walking up a 60-story building, spread over several miles of switchbacks through subalpine forest. The trail is well-defined but rooty in places, with occasional muddy stretches that linger into midsummer. Your reward is a pristine backcountry lake tucked into a glacial cirque, ringed by peaks and almost certainly devoid of other people. This is the hike for anyone who thinks Glacier's famous trails have gotten too popular for their own good.