Glacier National Park

Dawson Pass

strenuous Experienced HikersLoop SeekersAlpine Scenery
6.5 mi Distance
2,450 ft Elevation Gain
Varies Estimated Time
one_way Trail Type

What to Expect

Starting from the Two Medicine trailhead, you'll skirt the south shore of Two Medicine Lake on a gentle warmup before the trail turns serious and begins its relentless push toward the Continental Divide. The lower stretches wind through subalpine forest with occasional glimpses of Rising Wolf Mountain looming to the north, but once you break above treeline, the views crack wide open — jagged peaks in every direction, wildflower meadows clinging to impossible slopes, and the kind of silence that makes you forget other people exist. The final push to the pass is steep, exposed switchbacks carved into a rocky headwall, and the reward at the top is a knife-edge saddle with views plunging into both drainages. Strong hikers link this with Pitamakan Pass for one of Glacier's most celebrated loop hikes — a full-day grunt that earns every superlative thrown at it.
Experienced HikersLoop SeekersAlpine SceneryPeak BaggersSolitude Seekers

Safety Advisory

The upper headwall below the pass is fully exposed with no shelter. Afternoon thunderstorms roll in fast over the Divide — if you see clouds building by early afternoon, turn around. Lightning on that ridge has nowhere to go but through you.

This is prime grizzly country and the Two Medicine valley sees regular bear activity. Carry bear spray accessible on your hip, not buried in your pack, and make noise on blind corners through the forested lower section.

Snow lingers on the north-facing switchbacks below the pass well into July. Early-season hikers should carry microspikes — a slip on the steep traverse above Bighorn Basin has serious consequences.

Trail Details

Distance 6.5 miles round-trip
Elevation Gain 2,450 ft
Difficulty strenuous
Estimated Time Varies
Trail Type one_way
Pets Not allowed
Season Year-round
Trailhead Dawson Pass

Pro Tips

Trail Tip

Start by 7 AM to claim parking at the Two Medicine trailhead, which fills early in July and August. The lot is smaller than most Glacier trailheads and there's no overflow option nearby.

Trail Tip

If you're doing the full Dawson-Pitamakan loop (roughly 18 miles), go counterclockwise — you'll hit Dawson Pass first while your legs are fresh for the steeper headwall, and the Pitamakan descent is more gradual on tired knees.

Trail Tip

The stretch just below Dawson Pass is one of Glacier's most reliable spots for mountain goats in midsummer. Pause on the switchbacks and scan the rocky outcrops to the west — they're often grazing within a hundred yards of the trail.

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