Hike to The Loch

Starting from Glacier Gorge Trailhead, you'll share the path with the masses heading to Alberta Falls before the crowd thins at the junction. The first mile is a gentle warm-up through dense subalpine forest — Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir towering overhead — before the trail starts climbing in earnest through a series of well-built switchbacks that gain nearly a thousand feet. You'll cross Icy Brook on a sturdy footbridge and catch glimpses of the valley opening up ahead. The payoff is outstanding: The Loch sits in a granite bowl at 10,180 feet, ringed by Taylor Peak and the Cathedral Wall, with water so clear you can see the rocky bottom. On calm mornings the reflections are almost absurd. This is the sweet spot for hikers who want alpine scenery without committing to an all-day death march.