Why this hike stood out
Two Medicine was noticeably quieter than the park’s most famous areas, but the scenery was every bit as dramatic. This was a full day of hard hiking with sustained elevation, alpine lakes, two passes and miles of ridge views.
The 2026 trailhead surprise
Construction in Two Medicine changed access to the North Shore Trailhead during our visit. The official 2026 reroute requires an unbridged water crossing. We started in water shoes, crossed, then changed into hiking shoes. NPS also lists a South Shore alternative that avoids the ford but adds about one mile each way.
Oldman Lake and the climb
The early forest miles felt easy compared with what came later. You get views of Oldman Lake without needing to make it the focus of the day. Then the switchbacks begin. They felt relentless, but every bit of elevation opened up more of the landscape.
The ridge is the reason to do it
Once we reached the high country, alpine lakes appeared in different directions and the route became something completely different. The wind picked up, the trail crossed the passes and we spent miles walking with views on both sides. It felt far more remote than our other Glacier hikes.
We also saw bighorn sheep high on the route, which made the day even better.
About taking the boat back
We used the Two Medicine boat to skip the final lake miles. You need the appropriate one-way ticket and you need to reach the dock in time. The problem is that once you commit to the boat route, the schedule can create unnecessary pressure late in a very long day.
We made it, but there was not space for everyone waiting on the first boat. The crew can return, but that means more waiting. If we did the loop again, we would probably just hike the final miles unless we had started early enough that the boat timing felt completely comfortable.