The Sacred Dancing Cascade is a serene and enchanting spot that captures the essence of Glacier National Park’s natural splendor.
Overview
Just east of McDonald Lake is a small parking lot for the Sacred Dancing Cascade Overlook with a nice hike to a bridge over the creek. You can also view this beautiful waterfall from Going-to-the-Sun Road.
If you are walking the Johns Lake Loop Trail, you’ll see the waterfall along the way.
Sacred Dancing Cascade
Family photo at Sacred Dancing Cascade
Sacred Dancing Cascade Plan
During our visit to Glacier National Park, we listened to the GuideAlong audio tour on Going-to-the-Sun Road and it mentioned both the spectacular McDonald Falls and the Sacred Dancing Cascade. We heard about them on our way from the Lake McDonald Lodge toward Logan Pass. I marked them down as places to check out later when we were on the way back out of the park and had more time.
The two waterfalls are a short distance from each other, but they both have their own overlook and pullout parking areas.
Getting There
Location
Glacier National Park sits along the border between the United States and Canada in northwestern Montana. The closest airport is Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) located in Kalispell, Montana. Staying in the area around Kalispell, Whitefish, or West Glacier Village will put you close to the West Entrance of the park and closest to Sacred Dancing Cascades.
Best Time to Go
Due to heavy snowfall, most of Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed from October through mid-June. The best time to go to Glacier is in the summer months, although this means it gets very busy.
Sacred Dancing Cascade
Who Can Go?
The overlook and bridge are accessible to almost anyone to see the amazing views from the pulloff. There’s a small parking area along Going-to-the-Sun Road with a dirt walkway that leads to a bridge over McDonald Creek.
What You'll See
The bridge offers panoramic images of McDonald Creek and the beautiful falls in the area. If you’re lucky, you may see some wildlife such as bears, deer, and a variety of birds. You won’t get views of Lake McDonald from here, but it’s worth stopping here and going to the shore of Lake McDonald.
McDonald Creek
Tyler & Ryan at Sacred Dancing Cascade
What to Bring & Wear
When checking out the great features of the creek, make sure to bring your camera and some sunscreen.
Where to Go
When entering through the west side of the park, go past Lake McDonald Lodge and the North Shore Lake McDonald Road and look for the pullout parking lot on your left side. If you get to Avalanche Creek Campground you’ve gone too far.
How Long Does it Take?
Walking down to the bridge only takes a minute or two. If you continue across the bridge and along the trail, the first mile will wind close to the creek and you have a chance to see a few flowing cascades.
Cost
The overlook is a pull-off in Glacier National Park, so it doesn’t cost anything to go to on its own. You will have to pay the entrance fee into Glacier Park, though, which is $35 for a private vehicle, $70 for an annual pass, or $80 for an interagency pass such as the America the Beautiful Pass.
Tips for Sacred Dancing Cascade
- Sacred Dancing Cascade is visible from the John's Lake Loop Trails, the Upper McDonald Creek Trail, and the McDonald Creek Cutoff Horse Trail.
- Make sure you have bear spray on you at all times in the park as this is their home.