Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Montana / Glacier National Park

Boulder Pass Trail: Bowman Lake to Kintla Lake

Glacier National Park, North Fork (Bowman Lake, Brown Pass, Hole in the Wall, Boulder Pass, Kintla Lakes)

The Boulder Pass Trail crosses the remote northwest corner of Glacier National Park, from Bowman Lake over Brown Pass and Boulder Pass to the Kintla Lakes. Ouachita Maps describes the point-to-point route as about 38 miles, including the side trip to Hole in the Wall camp, with dozens of miles of gravel road to reach either trailhead.

The Outbound’s author, who spent two nights on Boulder Pass, calls the campsite “one of the best in all of Glacier National Park.”

The hike

Ouachita Maps starts at the foot of Bowman Lake. A side trail to the Numa Ridge Lookout leaves at 0.8 mile, and the Bowman Lake head campground comes at 7.2 miles, just past Numa Creek. Beyond the lake, the trail runs level for a while, then climbs steeply to Brown Pass, where tent sites sit in the trees near the pass.

From Brown Pass, a spur leads to Hole in the Wall camp, which Ouachita Maps puts at mile 15.4 and describes as a “verdant hanging valley” with waterfalls, a food prep area, and nearby stromatolite fossils. The Outbound’s author “absolutely loved” the area and calls it “an alpine oasis.” The main trail then follows a path cut into cliffs above a drop of about 2,000 feet, which Ouachita Maps says is wide and safe when snow-free but daunting for anyone afraid of heights, and climbs about 1,170 feet to Boulder Pass, the route’s high point, at mile 19.9.

The descent to Upper Kintla Lake drops about 3,250 feet on many switchbacks. The Outbound describes larch groves that turn gold in early October, views of Agassiz Glacier and Kinnerly Peak, and clear water at Upper Kintla Lake, where it says fishing is closed to protect bull trout. Ouachita Maps lists Upper Kintla camp at mile 26.0, a patrol cabin at 31.0, the Kintla Lake head camp at 31.3, and the Kintla trailhead at 38.0.

Ouachita Maps also warns about dense brush with heavy morning dew, devil’s club, and slick black mud early on. Water was scarcer than expected on its trip: Bowman Creek was dry and one Pocket Creek channel had only a small stream.

The Outbound suggests an out-and-back from Kintla Lake to Boulder Pass, 17.5 miles each way, if a shuttle isn’t practical. For another trip over the Continental Divide, see the Gunsight Pass Trail.

Tips

Camping

A wilderness use permit is required for all overnight camping in Glacier, and you may camp only at the campground and on the date listed. Advance reservations cover about 70% of sites for trips from June 15 to September 30, through spring lotteries and a general on-sale on Recreation.gov. The NPS sets aside about 30% of sites parkwide for walk-ups, available in person no more than a day before your trip; the Polebridge Ranger Station is one of the permit offices. Each permit allows up to four people per campsite.

Campgrounds on the route include Bowman Lake head, Brown Pass, Hole in the Wall, Boulder Pass, Upper Kintla Lake, and Kintla Lake head. Hang food and scented items from the provided poles or use the bear boxes, with your own bags and at least 25 feet of rope. Ouachita Maps describes fire areas at the Kintla Lake camps, while the NPS’s 2008 guide listed Brown Pass and Boulder Pass as no-wood-fire camps.

Inside Intel: The Outbound’s author describes Boulder Pass camp as three flat tent sites, a wind-sheltered food area, and a pit toilet with “one of the best views in the whole Rocky Mountains.” At Bowman Lake, Ouachita Maps says the best sites are the two south across Numa Creek, in open forest with lake views.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

No wood fires at Boulder Pass:

The high camps between Bowman and Kintla have been listed as no-wood-fire sites, so dinner depends on what you carry. See the camp stoves testers chose.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.