Everything You Need to Know About Lake McDonald
If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or Instagram recently, you’ve probably seen travelers posting pictures of a beautiful clear lake with colorful rocks. When we were planning our itinerary through the Mountain West, we knew Glacier National Park in Montana was our main destination. We knew about the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road, the wildlife and the really cool hikes like Highline Trail and Avalanche Lake, but we found ourselves asking where is the lake with the colorful rocks?
After a little bit of research, we discovered that the lake we were looking for is called Lake McDonald. Lake McDonald is an alpine lake that offers kayaking and canoeing. It is the largest lake in Glacier National Park and it is probably best known for the picturesque backdrop and the colorful rocks. The lake is located on the west side of the park and is easily accessible off of Going-to-the-Sun road. Don’t let the location of Lake McDonald discourage you if you are scared of driving on Going-to-the-Sun road because the lake is actually near the beginning of the road and doesn’t have any steep drop offs.
We visited Glacier National Park in late September, so Lake McDonald Lodge was already closed for the season, but we were able to spend about an hour taking pictures, skipping rocks and enjoying the beautiful views. Lake McDonald is definitely a place where you will want to sit back and relax. We recommend packing a lunch or snacks and spending time being at one with nature.
The nice thing about Lake McDonald is that it is not too far from the entrance of the park. If you’re in West Glacier, Lake McDonald is only a 7 mile drive from Glacier National Park Headquarters. As you’re driving, you’ll see the lake on your left hand side (you can’t miss it) and there are several mini parking lots to park and walk down to the water. The walks are very short and there is no hiking involved.
When you’re at Lake McDonald, everything looks like a desktop background! It really is one of the most beautiful lakes that we’ve ever seen! We think Lake McDonald would make for the perfect spot to have a photoshoot, picnic, date, or even a marriage proposal. You can jump in the lake, but when we were there it was way too cold. The best time to swim in Lake McDonald is Summer. On our next trip to Glacier National Park we are definitely hiking Avalanche Lake, picnicking at Lake McDonald and then going for a swim!
We loved having our tripod at Lake McDonald because we were able to get some awesome pictures. When we were at the lake, there was nobody around, so it was nice to be able to use the bluetooth clicker to take pictures since we couldn’t ask anybody for help. One thing that we didn’t mention that we highly suggest packing is mosquito repellent. You will definitely need it! Mosquitos and other insects thrive around water and you don’t want such a beautiful experience to be ruined because annoying bugs are biting you. Let us know if you’ve been to Lake McDonald and where Glacier National Park ranks for you!
