Virginia Falls

Starting from the St. Mary Falls shuttle stop, you'll drop down through dense cedar and fir forest before the trail levels out along the Saint Mary River. The first stretch is deceptively easy — a gentle descent that lulls you into forgetting you'll pay for every foot on the way back. After passing the spur to St. Mary Falls (absolutely worth the quick detour), the path narrows and climbs moderately through increasingly dramatic terrain, with exposed rock walls channeling the river into a roar you'll hear before you see. Virginia Falls itself is a stunner — a wide, powerful cascade dropping into a mist-filled amphitheater framed by moss-covered cliffs. The total elevation change is modest enough that most reasonably fit hikers won't break a sweat, but the scenery punches well above its weight class. This is the trail for anyone who wants a legitimate Glacier waterfall experience without committing to an all-day death march.