BOU AVENUE
Apgar Lookout
On 29 September 2024, Zosia Zgolak and I
hiked up Apgar Lookout located near West Glacier in Montana's Glacier
National Park. The active lookout is situated at the south end of
Apgar Mountains overlooking Lake McDonald and is easily accessed by a
well-maintained and popular trail. Following a very long trip to
Iceberg Peak the
previous day, we decided to have a more relaxed morning and hike Apgar
Lookout later in the afternoon. Another reason for doing so was
that the weather around West Glacier was forecasted to be rainy early in
the day with gradual clearing as the day progressed. As such, we
started our day with an excellent breakfast at the busy Nite Owl
Restaurant in Columbia Falls before driving into nearby Kalispell to play
a round of disc golf at Lawrence Park, perhaps the best course in the
city. After finishing up our round of disc golf, we finally headed
to the trailhead for Apgar Lookout to begin our hike.
From West Glacier, drive north along Going-to-the-Sun Road and cross
the bridge over Middle Fork Flathead River. After passing the park
entrance kiosk, drive another 500 metres before turning left onto Quarter
Circle Bridge Road (there is a sign for Apgar Lookout here). If
coming from the north, this turnoff is 1.3 kilometres south of the
intersection with Camas Road. Drive 600 metres and turn right at a
T-intersection. Drive about 100 metres and pass some sort of barn
and corral. If needed, there is a convenient vault toilet here.
Veer left to stay on Quarter Circle Bridge Road and drive an additional 800 metres
before crossing McDonald Creek on the road's namesake bridge. Past
the bridge, drive another 2.2 kilometres to road's end at the trailhead
parking lot (48.50445, -114.02125; no toilet).
Zosia and I started hiking on a fairly flat
trail for the first kilometre before transitioning into a gentle but
steady ascent up several lengthy switchbacks. With no trail
junctions to speak of, it is virtually impossible to get lost.
Because of our intentionally late start, we passed numerous groups of
descending hikers throughout our ascent. At times, the switchbacks
felt rather long-winded and monotonous. More than once, I pined for
my e-bike even though they are prohibited on this trail. Strangely
enough, dogs are also prohibited while horses with all the dung they
leave behind are allowed. In my opinion, that is simply horseshit!
In any case, we encountered no difficulties whatsoever in reaching the
lookout site which was already shuttered for the season. For such a
seemingly popular hike, the views from Apgar Lookout are actually rather
disappointing. The lookout is partially surrounded by vegetation
which effectively block the prized views of Lake McDonald, and rugged
mountains that are visible on the horizon are too distant for their
grandeur to be appreciated. As a consolation, there is a public
outhouse nearby in lieu of nothing at the trailhead.
Given the lack of appeal of the lookout
site and the lateness of the day, Zosia and I took only a short break
before commencing our descent. The switchbacks felt just as
long-winded the second time around, but at least we could breeze through
them a little faster going downhill. We returned to the deserted
trailhead parking lot without incident and subsequently drove out to find
a campsite for the night.
\
As Zosia begins her return trip, this open section of trail
grants far-reaching views across Flathead River valley.
 |
Most of the larch trees in this
area have yet to turn colour. Photo courtesy of
Zosia Zgolak |
 |
Total Distance: 11.7 kilometres
Round-Trip Time: 4 hours 11 minutes
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 544 metres
GPX Data |
