Like most Glacier National Park hikes, this one is steep. Unlike the others, the Hermit trail leads to a beautiful alpine bowl instead of a rocky ridge.

Trailhead
The trailhead is just to the left of the wooden information kiosk, and drops down into the forest.

Trail
The trail climbs steeply through a cedar-hemlock forest. About halfway up, the trees start thinning out and the views begin opening up. [read more]

The trail gets a bit less steep, with many good spots to take a break and enjoy the view. The top part of the trail is now completely made up of stone steps. Just before the campground, there is a rope in place to help with one particularly large step.

The campground consists of a couple of tent pads and a storage bin for food and gear. The trail continues to the right and after another 50 metres there is an official “End of Trail” sign. Just to the right of this sign is a trail that takes you down into the alpine bowl. The flora here is very fragile, so please tread carefully. If you head to the right, there a several small ponds, a creek with rapids, and a view like no other. From the left, you are looking at Mount MacDonald, Avalanche Ridge, the Illecillewaet Neve, the Asulkan Valley and Glacier, Abbott Ridge, Mt. Swanzy and Mt. Bonney, with the peak of Cheops visible on the far right.

Cautions

• Watch for bears.
• Park permit is required.

From the junction of Highway 95 and Highway 1 in Golden, drive west on the Trans Canada Highway for 75 kilometres. Just after leaving the fifth and final snowshed, look for a sign on the right that indicates a hiking trail in one kilometre. [read more]

There is a shallow pulloff on the right hand side of the TCH one kilometre further down the road, with an outhouse and an information kiosk. Park here.