I’ve done the classic Going-to-the-Sun Road drive through Glacier more times than I can count, and it wasn’t until my fourth trip to the park that someone finally told me to skip it entirely one day and drive out to Two Medicine instead. That one detour changed how I think about this park.
Two Medicine Lake sits in Glacier National Park’s quieter southeast corner, away from the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor that draws most of the park’s crowds. This guide covers the historic boat tour, the hikes that start from the lake’s shore, the FDR connection most visitors have never heard of, and why this is the corner of the park I recommend most often to people who’ve already done the classic route once.
Why Two Medicine Feels Like a Different Park
Before Going-to-the-Sun Road existed, Two Medicine was one of Glacier’s primary visitor hubs, reachable by rail and developed early with chalets built by the Great Northern Railway.
That history is still visible in the Two Medicine Store, a National Historic Landmark that now functions as a camp store and gift shop, and in the Swanson Boathouse nearby, also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Once Going-to-the-Sun Road opened in the 1930s and became the park’s signature drive, visitor traffic shifted west, and Two Medicine settled into the quieter role it holds today.
The lake itself is modest — about 2 miles long and roughly a third of a mile wide — but it’s ringed by genuinely dramatic terrain: Sinopah Mountain anchors the western end, and Rising Wolf Mountain rises more than 4,450 feet above the lake to the north.
The FDR Connection
Here’s a detail that surprises most visitors: in 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a national radio address from the Two Medicine Chalet, using this remote corner of Montana as a backdrop for a broadcast heard across the country.
It’s a strange thing to picture standing at the lakeshore today — how quiet and removed this spot is now compared to a moment when it briefly held the nation’s attention.
The Boat Tour on Sinopah
One of the most distinctive experiences on this lake is the guided boat tour aboard the Sinopah, the oldest wooden tour boat still operating in Glacier’s waters, built back in 1926.
Operated by the Glacier Park Boat Company, the narrated tour covers the lake’s Blackfeet cultural history and natural features, and it typically runs from late June through Labor Day weekend [verify current schedule].
The boat also shuttles hikers across the lake, meaningfully shortening the approach to Upper Two Medicine Lake and other trails on the far shore — I’d book ahead, since the boat is small and does fill on busy summer days.
Hiking from Two Medicine
This area anchors some of the most rewarding — and most underused — trails in the whole park:
- Running Eagle Falls (Trick Falls) — an easy quarter-mile walk to a distinctive double waterfall, where in high water the upper falls spills over the lower one, creating an optical trick that gives the falls its nickname.
- Upper Two Medicine Lake — a roughly 4.8-mile round trip if you take the boat shuttle across the lake first, or closer to 9-10 miles round trip on foot from the main trailhead, passing Twin Falls along the way.
- Scenic Point — a strenuous 7.4-mile round trip climbing over 2,300 feet to a rocky overlook with sweeping views stretching from the high peaks to the eastern plains.
- Dawson-Pitamakan Pass Loop — an 17-to-18-mile loop crossing two high passes, considered one of the finest backpacking routes in the park, with a required backcountry permit for overnight trips.
- Two Medicine Lake Loop — a gentler, roughly 9.7-mile loop trail around the lake’s perimeter, with strong odds of wildlife sightings and remote-feeling stretches where bear spray is genuinely essential gear, not just a formality.
I’ve done Scenic Point on a clear September morning and had views stretching what felt like the whole width of the state to the east — genuinely one of the best payoffs for effort anywhere in Glacier.
Fishing Two Medicine Lake
The lake holds rainbow and brook trout, typically running 10 to 12 inches, and while it’s not considered a premier fishing destination compared to some of the park’s other waters, it’s a pleasant, scenic spot to cast a line.
Wind is common here, which makes fly fishing more difficult than on calmer lakes. Bring your own rowboat or kayak, or rent from the Glacier Park Boat Company at the dock.
Lower Two Medicine Lake sits within the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and fishing it requires a separate tribal permit — day passes run around $10, three-day passes around $25, and season passes around $75 [verify current pricing], a detail that trips up visitors who assume their park fishing permit covers the whole area.
Camping at Two Medicine
Two Medicine Campground sits directly on the lakeshore with views across the water to Sinopah Mountain — genuinely one of the most scenically located campgrounds in the entire park.
It offers around 99-100 sites (no hookups) on a first-come, first-served basis, and amenities include potable water, flush toilets, picnic tables, fire pits, and an on-site camp store.
I’ve arrived by early afternoon in July and still found a site, but I wouldn’t push my luck much later than that during peak season.
Practical Realities: No Cell Service, No Gas Station
Two Medicine’s remoteness cuts both ways. There’s no gas station and no reliable cell service in the valley, and facilities are limited to the campground and camp store — which is exactly why it feels so much calmer than the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor, but also why you need to arrive prepared.
Fill your tank in East Glacier or St. Mary before heading in, and download any maps or trail information you’ll need in advance rather than counting on a signal once you arrive.
Comparing Two Medicine to Lake McDonald
If you’ve already spent time at Lake McDonald on a previous Glacier trip, Two Medicine will feel like a genuinely different park experience rather than more of the same.
Lake McDonald sits at the heart of the park’s busiest corridor with full services nearby; Two Medicine trades that convenience for solitude and a slower pace.
I’d recommend Two Medicine specifically to repeat visitors, and Lake McDonald as the better first-timer’s introduction to the park.
Getting There and Where to Stay
Two Medicine sits closest to East Glacier Park Village and the town of Browning on the Blackfeet Nation, both worth a stop for fuel and food before heading into the valley. For lodging options across the park more broadly, see my Glacier National Park lodging guide.
If you’re weighing shoulder-season timing to avoid summer crowds entirely, my Montana in September guide covers what changes once the calendar turns toward fall.
Personal Tips / What I Wish I Knew
This is a legitimate day-trip detour from the Going-to-the-Sun Road side of the park. If you’ve already driven the classic route once, dedicating a day to Two Medicine instead of repeating it is, in my opinion, one of the best moves a repeat Glacier visitor can make.
Go early for wildlife. Dawn and early morning consistently produce the best sightings here — I’ve seen moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats on early starts that I never encountered on midday visits.
Book the boat tour if a hike to Upper Two Medicine Lake is on your list. Skipping the shuttle roughly doubles your round-trip mileage on foot.
Don’t skip Running Eagle Falls just because it’s easy. It’s one of the shortest walks in the park, but the double-waterfall optical effect is worth the fifteen minutes even if you’re headed somewhere more ambitious afterward.
Weather and Wind
Two Medicine’s exposure to the plains just east of the mountains makes it one of the windier corners of the park, similar in character to St. Mary Lake further north.
I’ve had calm mornings turn into genuinely difficult paddling conditions by early afternoon here more than once, and the boat tour operators plan around this reality — don’t be surprised if an afternoon sailing feels considerably choppier than the same lake looked at 8 a.m.
Wildlife You’re Likely to See
Two Medicine’s relative quiet compared to the rest of the park translates into some of the best wildlife viewing odds in Glacier.
I’ve had multiple close, respectful-distance encounters with bighorn sheep and mountain goats on the higher trails here, and moose sightings around the lake’s marshy inlets and Pray Lake nearby are common enough that I always bring a longer lens on this side of the park.
Grizzly bears are present throughout the valley, and the relative lack of foot traffic compared to Going-to-the-Sun Road means encounters, while still uncommon, carry a slightly higher chance than in the park’s busier corridors — another reason bear spray and making noise on the trail matter here specifically.
Practical Info: Two Medicine Lake
| Lake size | About 2 miles long, roughly a third of a mile wide |
| Best season | Late May/June through October; facilities close for winter |
| Boat tour | Seasonal, late June–Labor Day, aboard the historic Sinopah [verify current schedule] |
| Camping | Two Medicine Campground, ~99-100 sites, first-come first-served |
| Fishing permit | Free Glacier NP permit for the main lake; separate tribal permit required for Lower Two Medicine Lake |
| Services | No gas station, no reliable cell service — fuel up in East Glacier or St. Mary first |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Two Medicine Lake less crowded than the rest of Glacier?
Yes, significantly. Because it’s away from the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor, Two Medicine sees a fraction of the visitor traffic of Lake McDonald or St. Mary Lake, even in peak summer.
What is the FDR connection to Two Medicine Lake?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a national radio address from the Two Medicine Chalet in 1934, a surprising piece of history for such a remote corner of the park today.
Is there cell service at Two Medicine Lake?
No, cell service is unreliable to nonexistent in the Two Medicine valley, and there’s no gas station — plan to arrive with a full tank and downloaded maps.
Do you need a special permit to fish at Two Medicine Lake?
The main lake is covered by a free Glacier National Park fishing permit, but Lower Two Medicine Lake lies within the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and requires a separate tribal permit.
How do you get to Upper Two Medicine Lake?
Either hike the full trail from the main trailhead (roughly 9-10 miles round trip) or take the Glacier Park Boat Company shuttle across Two Medicine Lake first, cutting the round trip to about 4.8 miles.
A Note on Expectations
Don’t come to Two Medicine expecting the same postcard-famous views as Going-to-the-Sun Road — the drama here is quieter and builds more slowly, through a hike or a boat ride rather than a single overlook from the car window.
I’ve found that visitors who arrive with that expectation set correctly tend to leave loving this corner of the park more than almost anywhere else they visited.
Final Thoughts
Two Medicine Lake is the corner of Glacier I recommend most often to people who assume they’ve already “seen” the park after one drive down Going-to-the-Sun Road.
It hasn’t got the postcard fame of Lake McDonald or St. Mary, and that’s precisely the point — it still feels like a place you found rather than a place everyone already knows about.
I think about that FDR radio broadcast every time I’m standing at the lakeshore, and it never stops feeling like a strange, wonderful contradiction with how quiet this valley is today.
For more of Glacier’s east-side lakes, see my guide to St. Mary Lake, or check out the complete guide to Montana’s best lakes for the rest of the region.
Give it a full day if you can — this isn’t a place to rush through on the way to somewhere else, and it rarely rewards visitors who treat it that way.
