Lake McDonald

Lake McDonald is the largest lake in Glacier National Park, about 10 miles long, more than a mile wide and 472 feet deep, filling a valley carved by glaciers on the west side of the Continental Divide. Going-to-the-Sun Road follows its southeast shore for most of its length, so it is the first big view of the park for anyone entering at West Glacier. At the south end is Apgar Village; about 10 miles up the road is Lake McDonald Lodge.

The water is clear and cold, and on calm mornings the lake reflects the peaks at its head. The shoreline at Apgar is known for its smooth red, green and blue-grey pebbles; they are part of the park, so leave them where they are. The lake is nutrient-poor and not a prime fishing water, but it holds native westslope cutthroat and bull trout as well as introduced lake trout. Grizzlies, black bears, moose and deer live around it, most often on the quieter north shore.

The Kootenai name for the Apgar end of the lake translates as "the place where they dance", after ceremonies held there. The English name comes from Duncan McDonald, a Hudson's Bay Company trader who carved his name on a tree by the lake in 1878. Lake McDonald Lodge, built in 1913 and 1914 in the style of a Swiss-influenced hunting lodge, is the largest lodging on the lake and one of the park's historic buildings.

Boating is allowed, including motorboats, but every craft launched in the park must be inspected for aquatic invasive species first and needs a free launch permit; the Apgar inspection station runs from the second Sunday in May to October 31. Glacier Park Boat Company has finished its 2026 season of tours and rentals and is taking bookings for 2027. The road from West Glacier to Lake McDonald Lodge is plowed all winter, so this is the part of the park you can still drive to in January.

In 2026 the Logan Pass shuttle stopped at Lake McDonald Lodge, but Avalanche Lake and the Trail of the Cedars, a few miles further up the road, could not be reached by park shuttle this year. Culvert work on the North Lake McDonald Road is planned for fall 2026.

Practical tip: for photographs, go to the Apgar shore at sunrise or sunset, when the wind is lowest and the mountains at the head of the lake catch the light.