Hiking to Pitamakan Pass in Glacier National Park
The Pitamakan Pass trail in Glacier National Park is the perfect hike to get away from the crowds and congestion found in other areas of the park. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Pitamakan Pass hike, including how to get there, things to know before you go, what to expect on the trail, and more!
If you’re anything like us, one of the things you like most about strapping on your hiking boots and hitting the trail is escaping the crowds and finding some solitude in the backcountry.
Sometimes this is unavoidable, as many stunning hikes have become quite popular (like the Highline Trail hike in Glacier National Park, for example). These trails have become popular for good reason, though, which is why everyone else is there, too!
Thankfully, there are still some hidden gems out there that haven’t quite yet resonated with the masses and sometimes, just sometimes, you can find that peace and solitude you’re looking for. In Glacier National Park, the Pitamakan Pass trail is that gem.
The Pitamakan Pass hike is a beautiful option for those looking for a less crowded hiking experience in Glacier National Park, but still want to get a glimpse of the epic views that the park is so famous for. The trail is found in a part of the park that is a bit quieter than the rest, without the crowds and congestion of the Going to the Sun Road or the Many Glacier area of the park, so it makes for a nicer wilderness experience.
At roughly 15 miles, it’s certainly a long day hike, but the views at the top, and the high possibility that you’ll be enjoying them in solitude, are certainly worth the effort.
Here, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about hiking the Pitamakan Pass trail in Glacier National Park so that you can escape the crowds and find some solitude in Glacier’s backcountry!
In this Pitamakan Pass Hiking Guide:
The Best Hikes in Glacier National Park
Hiking to Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park
Hiking the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park
Hiking to Cracker Lake in Glacier National Park
Hiking to Iceberg Lake in Glacier National Park
How to Get to the Pitamakan Pass Trailhead in Glacier National Park
View from the road on the way into Two Medicine and the Pitamakan Pass trailhead
The Pitamakan Pass hike is located in the Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park, a more remote and much less visited section of the park.
From the St. Mary’s entrance at the Going to the Sun Road on the east side of the park, drive about a half hour south (18.5 miles) and take a right onto MT- 49. From here, it’s an almost 15 mile journey down to the Two Medicine area that slowly switchbacks down into the valley. After about 7.5 miles on MT-49, take a sharp right onto the Two Medicine entry road, which will take you the rest of the way in.
The road will end at the ranger station and campground. The trail for Pitamakan Pass starts at the North Shore Trailhead which is located in the Two Medicine Campground. Drive into the campground and not too far in you will see a small parking area to your left.
It’s important to know, though, that as of 2023, Glacier National Park now requires reservations to access the Two Medicine area, adding a small layer of complexity to being able to do the Pitamakan Pass hike. So, let’s get into that now…
Reservations for Two Medicine in Glacier National Park
To access the Pitamakan Pass hike in Two Medicine, you’ll need reservations to drive the road in. These reservations are only required from July 1st to September 10th between 6 am and 3 pm.
Reservations are made online in advance (not at the park!) on recreation.gov. They are $2 each and good for one day in Two Medicine. Other areas of the park (like the Going to the Sun Road and Many Glacier) require their own set of reservations, and it’s important to note that reservations to these other areas will not get you access into Two Medicine. They are all independent of each other (to learn more about reservations for other areas in Glacier, check out our Glacier Guide and Itinerary!).
For Two Medicine, there are two reservation windows that are important to know:
About 120 days, or four months, in advance a block of monthly reservations open up:
On March 1st, 8 am MST, all July dates open for reservation.
On April 1st, 8 am MST, all August dates open for reservation.
On May 1st, 8 am MST, September 1st-10th dates open for reservation.
More reservations for each date open 24 hours the day before, at 8 am MST.
Keep in mind that most reservations for things in Glacier National Park tend to go very fast, so be sure to have your recreation.gov account ready to go, and be logged in before 8 am MST on the day reservations open! The Two Medicine area might not be as popular as other places in Glacier, but better to be safe than sorry!
Can you hike Pitamakan Pass without a reservation?
All reservations in Glacier National Park are notoriously difficult to get, so if you can’t seem to get reservations, don’t worry…not all hope is lost! There are still ways to hike Pitamakan Pass without a Two Medicine reservation.
First, as we said above, reservations are only needed between July and September, so outside of these months, you can hike to Pitamakan Pass. This could be risky though, because depending on the year, the trails and roads can be covered in snow.
During the reservation period, reservations are only needed between 6 am and 3 pm, so if you arrive outside of these hours, you can get in without the reservation. Getting an early start before 6 am is a good idea anyway, particularly because the Pitamakan Pass hike is so long. We wouldn’t recommend starting after 3 pm on the Pitamakan Pass trail, though, because you’d likely be spending a lot of time hiking in the dark.
Lastly, if you have any sort of service reservations inside Two Medicine, such as for the campground, you won’t need a separate Two Medicine reservation to get in.
Do You Need a Permit to Hike to Pitamakan Pass in Glacier National Park?
No specific permit is needed for the Pitamakan Pass hike. The only thing you need to keep in mind is getting the Two Medicine reservation, but once you have that (or if you come outside of the reservation period), then you are free to hike to Pitamakan Pass!
Also keep in mind that these reservations are in addition to the Glacier National Park Pass, which is $35 per vehicle and is good for 7 consecutive days for all areas of the park. If you plan on going to more National Parks, we highly recommend getting the Annual Parks Pass which gets you into all NPS sites for a whole year!
How Long is the Hike to Pitamakan Pass?
Here are some hiking stats for the Pitamakan Pass hike:
Distance: 15.2 miles out and back
Elevation Gain: 2,400 feet
Level: Moderate - solely because of the distance. The trail itself is pretty tame and gains most of its elevation slowly on an easy to follow path.
Map of the Pitamakan Pass hike in Glacier National Park
Trail map of the Two Medicine area from the National Park Service. The hike to Pitamakan Pass is highlighted in blue.
Alternative Pitamakan Pass Hike: Pitamakan-Dawson Pass Loop
A popular option when hiking to Pitamakan Pass is to combine it with Dawson Pass to make an epic hiking loop that takes you through a good portion of the Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park.
This was our original intent when we first set out to do the Pitamakan Pass hike. However, when we spoke to a ranger at the trailhead, she told us that there were very high winds up by the passes that day (which is common in this area) and advised us to do the loop counterclockwise, starting at Pitamakan Pass.
As we climbed to the pass, the winds got stronger and stronger until they were nearly blowing us over at the top!
The trail between Pitamakan Pass and Dawson Pass follows a narrow ledge carved into a mountainside, with often tenuous sections, and we (well, more like I) were not ready to brave that in the strong winds, so we were forced to turn around at the Pitamakan Pass Overlook. But we will be back for you, Dawson Pass!
If you do decide to do the entire Pitamakan Pass-Dawson Pass Hike, you’ll have quite a big day with 17.5 miles of hiking and about 2,450 feet of elevation gain. Doing an out and back of either pass is less distance, but getting to see two epic passes with only a slightly increased distanced of a mile or two would probably be worth it!
Hiking the Pitamakan Pass Trail in Glacier National Park: An Overview
Okay, now that we’ve gotten most of the logistics out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff! We’ll mostly have the pictures do the talking as we take you through the major milestones of the Pitamakan Pass hike in Glacier National Park…
The hike to Pitamakan Pass starts from the Two Medicine campground at the base of Pray Lake, which is a small little outlet at the base of Two Medicine Lake. The trailhead is clearly marked in the campground.
The trailhead for the Pitamakan Pass hike
Pray Lake at the start of the Pitamakan Pass hike
You will pass over a short footbridge to begin the hike, and immediately come to the junction for both Pitamakan and Dawson Passes. Going to left will take you to Dawson Pass and to the right will take you to Pitamakan Pass, so stay to the right here.
From here, the Pitamakan Pass hike starts off with a short climb through the woods above the campground area, but then flattens out and stays flat for a good portion of the hike, actually. The trail weaves its way in and out of trees and meadows through the forested valley as it makes a straight shot toward the pass, with a just very gradual elevation gain as you head deeper into the valley.
Grizzlies are common in Glacier National Park, especially in this lesser visited Two Medicine area. This section in particular of the Pitamakan Pass hike was definitely the most eerie-feeling. We felt like we were in some serious bear territory here, and even saw some bear scat right along the trail. We stayed alert, made noise, and just kept up our pace through this area. The good thing about it is it’s mostly flat so you can go pretty fast through here and cover ground quickly.
Walking through the eerie forest on the Pitamakan Pass hike
This is definitely bear territory!
At 2.4 miles into the Pitamakan Pass hike, you will come to a clearly marked intersection with another trail that goes back to the Two Medicine entrance, so keep left here.
Around here, the views finally begin opening up and you’ll start your gradual climb out of the valley straight towards the pass. Eventually, straight ahead you will see Flinsch Peak and Mt. Morgan, the two peaks that the Dawson-Pitamakan trail skirt around to form their loop. For Pitamakan Pass, you will be heading up near Mt. Morgan, the peak on the right.
Views along the Pitamakan Pass trail
Flinsch Peak and Mount Morgan in the distance from the Pitamakan Pass trail
The gradual climb up the Pitamakan Pass hike
At about 6 miles in on the trail to Pitamakan Pass, you will come to an intersection for Oldman Lake. This short 0.3 mile spur trail leads to a backcountry campground and a pit toilet, where we stopped for a quick snack. This is a good spot to take a rest, as you’re right before the final steep climb up to Pitamakan Pass!
Just passed this intersection, you’ll get your first good glimpse at Oldman Lake that sits just beneath Mt. Flinsch and Mt. Morgan.
Old Man Lake on the Pitamakan Pass hike
Here is where the ascent up out of the valley and onto the Pitamakan Pass begins. This is where a lot of the trail’s elevation gain occurs, all in about a mile and a half. In just a few long switchbacks up the mountainside, you’ll climb pretty quickly up to the top of the pass.
And as you make your way up the switchbacks, the views of Oldman Lake get better and better.
The steep switchbacks up to Pitamakan Pass
The view of Oldman Lake get better the higher up you go on the Pitamakan Pass trail!
While most of the Pitamakan Pass trail on this switchback section is pretty tame, there are some short spurts of trail where it’s pretty rocky and narrow along an edge. There are no steep drop-offs or exposure, but if it’s windy here, you might feel a little uneasy.
And like we said above, the wind here can get quite high. As we looked down on Oldman Lake from the switchbacks, we could see the top layer of water being swept clear across the surface from the wind. But we didn’t feel so uncomfortable here that we needed to turn around…just yet.
The last switchback spills you out right at the top of Pitamakan Pass. The pass is essentially a wide ridge between peaks and has incredible views of the valleys and lakes on either side.
We had the pass and these views completely to ourselves the entire time we were up there and we just sat and enjoyed it for a few minutes while we took a rest from the climb up. It was incredibly windy up here, though, so we didn’t sit for too long!
The view at the top of Pitamakan Pass!
From Pitamakan Pass, you have the option to hike 0.6 miles further to Pitamakan Pass Overlook, a viewpoint that looks out over the valley behind Mt. Morgan, which you can’t see from the pass itself.
We saw the trail traversing along the side of the nearby peak and decided to continue along, since at this point we were still planning on doing the full Pitamakan-Dawson Pass Loop.
The trail from Pitamakan Pass to Pitamakan Overlook as it traverses alongside of Mt. Morgan
As we traversed across to the overlook, the winds grew to an uncomfortable level and were making me feel quite unstable. They were swooping through the mountains and making me feel like I would be blown up off my feet, so I was hunkering down and almost crawling across the narrow pathway.
But, we made it to the small viewpoint, and I am sure glad we did…there were some amazing views from here! It gives you a different perspective down through the valley that lies behind both Mt. Morgan and Mt. Flinsch.
Looking back down the trail to Pitamakan Pass from the overlook
At the top of Pitamakan Pass Overlook before it turns and heads across the ridge to Dawson Pass
The winds were extremely high up on the overlook, and we debated whether or not to continue. We knew the traverse between Pitamakan and Dawson passes would be a little more intense than what we had just climbed, involving a more narrow and rocky cliffside ridge to get over to Dawson Pass.
As we contemplated going further, hikers making their way towards us from Dawson Pass confirmed that the traverse was a bit scary with the high winds, as there are some sections that were narrow and with a bit of exposure. The thought of that was a bit nerve-wracking for me, so we made the unfortunate decision to turn around and head back. But, no shame in that! Definitely judge your comfort level here and listen to your gut. The pass will always be waiting for you when you’re back… and we will definitely be back!
So, from here, it was time to retrace our steps back to the trailhead. We made our way back down to Pitamakan Pass and then back down the switchbacks to Oldman Lake. From there, we started the long walk out of the valley the same way we came in.
After the thrill of the pass and the stunning views now quite literally behind you, this part of the Pitamakan Pass hike becomes sort of a long march through several miles of flat forest with tired feet. But, knowing we were hiking back through bear territory as the evening was settling in forced us to keep up the pace, and we actually made it out in pretty decent time. It was such a relief to make the final short descent out of the valley and see the Two Medicine campground come into site!
Hiking down from Pitamakan Pass
The long walk out!
Things to Know Before Hiking to Pitamakan Pass in Glacier National Park
Before hitting the trails, here are some important things to know as you set out to hike to Pitamakan Pass in Glacier National Park.
Be bear aware. The Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park is very much bear country and is home to grizzlies. The first section of the Pitamakan Pass hike that walks through the forested valley is especially eerie. We often just had that ominous feeling like a bear was lurking around the corner or in the woods around us, and there were several occasions where we saw fresh scat right on the trail. Luckily, we had no encounters, but it was a little unsettling.
Check with a ranger before you set out to hike to Pitamakan Pass in Glacier National Park about any recent bear activity, make sure you carry bear spray and know how to use it as a last resort, hike in numbers, make sound often so you don’t surprise any unsuspecting wildlife, and be aware of your surroundings.
This isn’t all to scare you! The chances you’ll encounter a bear on the trail is probably small, but we just want you to know it’s a possibility and to be prepared.
High winds. This eastern side of Glacier National Park is known to have particularly high winds, and the Two Medicine area is no exception. Once we emerged from the forest and started our climb up to Pitamakan Pass, we definitely experienced these notorious winds and it ultimately forced us to turn back rather than complete the whole Pitamakan-Dawson Pass loop.
Check with a ranger before hiking to Pitamakan Pass to ask about trail conditions and wind. They can let you know what to expect and which direction is best if hiking the loop on a windy day. A ranger that morning did warn us about the high wind levels and advised against the full loop, as the trail between the two passes has some high exposure ledges that might be a bit tenuous in such conditions.
Definitely pack layers for the Pitamakan Pass hike, and if you use them, bring your trekking poles to help increase your stability. And of course, don’t be afraid to turn back if you don’t feel comfortable. Pitamakan Pass will always be there waiting for you for at a later time!
Solitude. If solitude is what you’re after, then you’ve found it here! For the entire 16 miles we hiked on the Pitamakan Pass trail, we saw 2 or 3 other small parties of 1-2 people. So be prepared to be independent here, tell someone your plans, and pack all the essentials. Because there’s so few people here, it’s even more important to try and hike in a group (with at least one other person) if you can to avoid any unwelcome bear encounters.
No shuttle. There is no shuttle that goes into the Two Medicine area, so you will have to rely on your own transportation to get to the trailhead of the Pitamakan Pass hike.
Not a lot of facilities. The Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park is different from other areas of the park. It feels a little more remote and a bit more like a true wilderness experience. There are no lodges here or restaurants, so it’s not highly touristy. There’s a simple campground with a camp store for basic supplies and a ranger station and that’s pretty much it.
Leave no trace. Remember to pack in what you pack out, stay on the trails, don’t approach the wildlife, and leave the park and the trails better than you found them!
What to Pack for the Pitamakan Pass Hike
In addition to the usual hiking essentials, here are some things we would pack particularly for the Pitamakan Pass trail in Glacier:
A good pair of hiking boots for the rocky terrain near and on the pass.
Layers and wind breaker for the high winds at the pass.
Raincoat – just in case of sudden weather changes.
Sunscreen/hat – most of the trail near the pass, and of course on the pass, is exposed to the sun.
Water – and plenty of it! Pack at least three liters per person.
Snacks – and a trash bad to carry out your waste.
Bear spray/bear bell – just in case!
Trekking poles – these can be useful to keep your stability along the windy portions of the trail.
Where to Stay Near the Pitamakan Pass Hike in Glacier National Park
Because the Two Medicine area of Glacier is a relatively primitive area compared to other parts of the park, there are no lodging facilities or restaurants here.
If you want to stay right in Two Medicine so you are close to the Pitamakan Pass hike in Glacier National Park, camping is your only option.
There is one campground in Two Medicine (where the Pitamakan Pass trail starts, making it highly convenient). Recently, this campground has transitioned from a first come first serve site to one that you have to reserve. Reservations for the Two Medine campground open 6 months in advance of the date you are looking at, with a small number saved for reservations up to four days in advance. These campsite reservations haven’t quite gotten as competitive as the campgrounds in the other areas of the park, thankfully, so you shouldn’t have a huge problem getting a campsite here!
There are camping and lodging options outside the park, too, particularly in the nearby town of Browning if you can’t snag the Two Medicine campground.
Or, if you are also checking out other sections of Glacier National Park, there are 12 other campgrounds to stay at throughout the park. Six of these have sites that can be reserved, but they tend to book up extremely fast, usually 6 months out right when the reservations open. If you are unable to snag a first come first serve site, you can stay in other areas just outside of the park.
We ended up staying at campgrounds found just outside of Many Glacier…Johnson’s RV Park, and Chewing Blackbones. Both were standard sites and surprisingly quite uncrowded in comparison to the busy campsites just inside the park. It was a bit of a drive to get down to the Two Medicine area and the Pitamakan Pass hike from there (about an hour), but the good thing is that because it’s such a low visited area, you don’t have to get there extremely earlier to beat crowds or get parking. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of daylight to complete the hike, keeping in mind how long it is.
What's Next After Hiking to Pitamakan Pass?
If you’re looking for more epic hikes near Pitamakan Pass in Glacier National Park (and there is no shortage of them!), check out the following guides for some of our favorites!
GLACIER HIKING GUIDE - Check out our jam- packed guide filled with everything you need to know about hiking in Glacier National Park, including information on getting there, taking the shuttle, where to stay, and a sampling of our favorite hikes in each region of Glacier National Park.
GRINNELL GLACIER - One of our favorite hikes in glacier, this trail delivers epic scenery and takes hikers to a gorgeous glacier lake. Check out our complete guide to hiking to Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park to learn more.
HIGHLINE TRAIL - A bucket list trail for many hikers, the Highline Trail is a stunning hike off the Going to the Sun Road. It’s a point to point hike, though, requiring some advanced planning. Read everything you need to know to plan your hike with our complete guide on Hiking the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park.
CRACKER LAKE - This hike leads to one of the most stunningly blue glacier lakes we’ve ever seen! Check out our Cracker Lake hiking guide to see if you want to add it to your Glacier hiking list!
ICEBERG LAKE - This popular hike gives stunning views over the Many Glacier Valley and ends at an iceberg-filled glacier lake with an epic mountain backdrop. Check out our Guide to the Iceberg Lake hike to learn more!
Have you hiked to Pitamakan Pass in Glacier National Park? What did you think? Feel free to ask any questions about the Pitamakan Pass trail in the comments below…we love to help!
