Trails / Montana / Glacier National Park

Gunsight Pass Trail

Glacier National Park (Jackson Glacier Overlook to Lake McDonald Lodge)

The Gunsight Pass Trail crosses the Continental Divide in the middle of Glacier National Park, linking Going-to-the-Sun Road near St. Mary Lake with Lake McDonald on the west side. Ouachita Maps calls it a 20.6-mile point-to-point hike “deserving of a multi day backpacking experience,” with about 3,000 feet of climbing.

Along the way are two passes, Gunsight Lake, Lake Ellen Wilson, and the historic Sperry Chalet.

The hike

Most hikers start on the east side, at a large turnout on Going-to-the-Sun Road shared with the Jackson Glacier Overlook. Ouachita Maps’ mileage log describes a gentle 1.3-mile descent through forest to the Reynolds Creek camp spur and the Piegan Pass junction, then the Florence Falls spur at mile 4.0 and a suspension bridge over the St. Mary River at mile 6.3. Backpacker’s Readers’ Choice write-up mentions Deadwood Falls and Florence Falls on this stretch, and Gunsight Mountain (9,258 feet) reflected in Gunsight Lake.

From the lake basin, the trail climbs about 1,680 feet to Gunsight Pass (Ouachita Maps puts it at mile 9.2), where a stone shelter stands; camping isn’t allowed there. Ouachita Maps notes that the trail is cut into vertical cliffs on this climb, “a bit hairy” for anyone afraid of heights. Comments on a Hike 734 trip report from 2018 and 2019 warn that early-season snowfields just below the pass can be “super sketchy.”

West of the pass, the trail traverses high above Lake Ellen Wilson. Its campground sits about 300 feet below the trail, near the water, on a spur at mile 11.2. Lincoln Pass comes at mile 13.2, followed by the short spur to Sperry campground at 13.9. Sperry Chalet, which burned in 2017 and reopened in 2020 according to Ouachita Maps, offers lodging and meals by reservation. Hike 734 suggests an optional side trip to Comeau Pass and the Sperry Glacier overlook, which climbs a rock staircase with a cable handrail.

The last leg drops about 3,500 feet to Lake McDonald Lodge at mile 20.6. The Ouachita Maps author says this lower half sees heavy horse traffic from a concessioner’s stable. Backpacker warns that summer thunderstorms often build after 2 p.m. and suggests waiting out a storm in the stone hut at the pass rather than racing down.

For a longer Glacier trip that climbs from Logan Pass instead, see the Highline Trail to Fifty Mountain.

Tips

• Arrange your own shuttle. Recreation.gov’s 2026 permit page says park shuttles won’t accommodate overnight visitors this year, and the trailheads are on opposite sides of the Divide.
• Ask about snow at the pass. Early-season snowfields below Gunsight Pass have turned hikers back.
• Watch the clouds. Backpacker says summer thunderstorms are common after 2 p.m.
• Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
• Bring 25 feet of cord for the campground food poles.

Camping

A wilderness use permit is required for all overnight camping in Glacier, and camping is allowed only at the campground and on the date listed on your permit. Recreation.gov says about 70% of sites for trips between June 15 and September 30 can be reserved in advance, through early-access lotteries (large groups of 9 to 12 and standard groups of 1 to 8) followed by a general on-sale; the NPS says about 30% of sites parkwide are held for walk-ups, available in person no more than one day before the trip. Reserved permits must be picked up by 4:30 p.m. the day before or the day the trip starts. Each permit allows up to four people per campsite.

On this route, the campgrounds are Reynolds Creek, Gunsight Lake, Lake Ellen Wilson, and Sperry. In camp, hang food, garbage, and scented items from the food poles or use the bear boxes; you supply the bags and at least 25 feet of rope. Recreation.gov says wood fires are allowed only at a few select wilderness campgrounds, and the NPS’s 2008 guide listed Gunsight Lake and Lake Ellen Wilson as no-wood-fire camps.

Inside Intel: The Hike 734 trip report calls Lake Ellen Wilson “an incredible campsite” and Gunsight Lake a camp “at the foot of a gorgeous alpine lake.” Ouachita Maps adds that many Gunsight Lake tent pads are small, so a compact tent fits better.

Trail facts

• Distance: 20.6 miles one way (Ouachita Maps); 19.9 miles without side trips (Hike 734)
• Route type: Point to point, Jackson Glacier Overlook to Lake McDonald Lodge
• Difficulty: Strenuous
• Campsites: Reynolds Creek (1.3 mi), Gunsight Lake (past the mile 6.3 suspension bridge), Lake Ellen Wilson spur (11.2 mi), Sperry spur (13.9 mi)
• Water: Gunsight Lake, Lake Ellen Wilson, streams; a pond near Sperry; treat it
• Permits: NPS wilderness permit (advance lottery or walk-up)
• Food storage: Food poles or bear boxes at camp; bring 25 ft of rope
• Fires: Stove recommended; wood fires only at select campgrounds
• Dogs: Not allowed on trails or in the backcountry (NPS pets page)
• Trailhead: Jackson Glacier Overlook turnout, Going-to-the-Sun Road
• Last verified: October 17, 2026

Where this comes from

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

• NPS: How to get a wilderness camping permit
• NPS: Wilderness camping advance reservations
• NPS: Glacier trail status reports
• Recreation.gov: Glacier National Park wilderness permits
• NPS: Glacier Backcountry Guide (2008)
• Ouachita Maps: Gunsight Pass Trail
• Backpacker: Readers’ Choice, Gunsight Pass
• Hike 734: Gunsight Pass
• NPS: Pets in Glacier

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.