Bowman Lake

Bowman Lake Trailhead is located on the north shore of Bowman lake, north of the boat launch.

The trip by car into Bowman Lake is slow going over a bumpy, narrow and dusty dirt road. The lake is beautiful and is worth the trip, however the road is not suitable for larger camp trailers or motor homes.

Near the trailhead we stopped on the beach to examine the flat green and red stones on the lakeshore. Skipping some of them across the lake water setting the mood for a great day. Next is the Bowman Lake ranger station located in an old well-kept log building that was built in the 1920?s and was once used as a lodge. It is worth a stop to look around.

The morning air is fresh and some squirrels are chattering in the thick forest as we begin our hike. Underneath the forest canopy are ferns, a variety of wildflowers in white, yellow and purple and mosses in different shades of green. There is an abundance of wildlife and birds and a doe and her fawn cross the trail ahead of us. Bears are known to inhabit the area but we didn?t see any this day. We take advantage of the frequent access points to the lake and enjoy the view of the towering mountains surrounding us. We encounter many hikers on this popular trail, some are strolling leisurely and others seriously heading out at a fast pace. Some stop to talk and we ask them where they are from and are they hiking the whole trail or a part of it. One couple asked us to take their picture with the lake as a background. Stopping for lunch at one of the lake access points we photograph the mountain reflections in the lake and also the nice scene of the lake, mountains, blue sky, fluffy white clouds and lush forest around it. As we eat our sandwiches we sit quietly taking in the serene silence of the moment. Continuing on the lakeshore we enjoy a pleasant sighting of on osprey, not uncommon for this area. We finally make it to the campsite near the head of the lake. Pleasant surroundings for a camp, here you can view Square Peak, Rainbow Peak, and Mount Carter across the lake. You can camp for the night or continue on with the Browns Pass Option. Deciding we are getting tired we head back, taking the time to examine and photograph some of the wildflowers along the way. Although we didn?t continue on with the hike to Brown Pass, we did have a wonderful day.

Glacier National Park
PO Box 128
West Glacier,MT,59936
Phone: (406) 888 7800
Email: glac_questions@nps.gov