Baring Falls via Siyeh Pass
9.7 mi
Distance
4 hrs 51 min
Time
terrain
3,396 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a difficult one way trail to Baring Falls in Glacier National Park.
This trail goes by Saint Mary Lake.
Sights to See
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
This hike is brutal, but also totally worth it. The miles to Preston Park are a steady, but manageable incline with a beautiful crossing of Siyeh Creek.
Once you hit the meadow it’s an easy haunt until you start to climb the pass. The switchbacks and elevation gain are intense, but stick with it. The views at the top of the pass were incredible, even with low visibility due to smoke.
The back half of the trail starts with the descent. This terrain is treacherous and technical, but steady pacing is the name of the game. On our hike it was warm and sunny, but there were still a couple patches of snow to cross. Hiking poles helped.
After a couple miles of descent, you hit what passes for level ground in Glacier. The rest of the hike is a series of ridges through an old burnt pine forest until you hit the rocky edge of Barring Creek on your last mile.
The back half of the trail is even less traversed than the hike from the Piegan Pass trailhead, with brush nearly blocking the trail completely in parts. The terrain is dramatic and dynamic.
Bring extra water or a treatment to refill at the many streams and rivulets.
When I do this hike again, I’ll make it an out an back from the Piegan Pass trailhead to the top of the pass.
But it is amazing, and even though it may be challenging, you won’t regret it.
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