Akokala Lake Trail
Photo: Mobilus In Mobili, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 11.1 mi
- round trip
- 1,004 ft
- climb
- 4,906 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Akokala Lake Trail open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Glacier National Park. It doesn't name Akokala Lake Trail, so check the source for the area it covers.
Going-to-the-Sun Road Seasonal Closure
Park closure covering Glacier National Park · NPS · Glacier National Park
As of · Source: NPS · Glacier National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Akokala Lake Trail is an out-and-back hike in Glacier National Park in Montana, managed by the National Park Service. The trail is about 11 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 1,004 feet, and it rises from a low point of about 4,088 feet to a high of about 4,906 feet. The trailhead is named Akokala Lake Trailhead, and the route is rated moderate. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Polebridge show July and August highs around 81 to 82°F with lows near 40°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher parts of the route run cooler. A fee is charged for the hike. Bowman Lake Campground is about a mile away, and the Quartz Lake Loop and Numa Ridge Lookout Trail are both within a mile. Bowman Creek, a canoeing spot, is about 3 miles off.
Local outfitters
- North American RV Park & Yurt Village28 mi away
- Indian Springs Montana39 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Akokala Lake Trail
Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
31° / 10°
Feb
35° / 8°
Mar
44° / 16°
Apr
54° / 24°
May
63° / 32°
Jun
70° / 39°
Jul
81° / 40°
Aug
82° / 38°
Sep
70° / 32°
Oct
54° / 26°
Nov
39° / 19°
Dec
31° / 10°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Polebridge, MT, 5.8 mi away at 3,520 ft. The station sits about 1,400 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
HIKE
Numa Lookout Trailhead
Next door
This trail takes you to one of the (seasonally) staffed fire lookouts in the park. It starts on the shore of Bowman Lake, with the first half remaining relatively flat before gaining elevation. Numa Lookout Distance: 5.7 mi (9.2 km), one way Elevation gain: 3,396 ft (1035 m)…
Photo: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Quartz Lake Loop
Next door
24.94-mile out-and-back out-and-back in Montana with 5,855 ft elevation gain
Covey Meadow Ski Trail
~8 min drive
0.43-mile lollipop ski trail in Montana with 70 ft gain and 3,658 ft max elevation.
Kishenehn Trail
~17 min drive
17.62-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,899 ft elevation gain and 4,104 ft max elevation.
Photo: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Kintla Trail
~18 min drive
11.09-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 517 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Forest and Fire Nature Trail
~25 min drive
Welcome to the Forest & Fire Nature Trail. Depending on where you’re from, the word “wildfire” can be letters on a page or... a whole lot more. For some, the word “wildfire” can trigger dramatic and visceral recall of the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the earth on fir…
Photo: Mobilus In Mobili, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Numa Ridge Lookout Trail
~1 min drive
9.83-mile out-and-back hike to Numa Ridge Lookout in Montana with 2,916 ft gain.
Covey Meadow Loop Trail
~8 min drive
1.36-mile out-and-back hike in Montana with 170 ft elevation gain.
Photo: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Boulder Pass Trail
~17 min drive
59.14-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 3,220 ft elevation gain.
Chain Lake
~28 min drive
2.97-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,128 ft gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors