Sacred Dancing Cascade
About
Sacred Dancing Cascade is a waterfall in Glacier National Park in Montana, about 12 miles from the town of West Glacier. It sits at roughly 3,300 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in West Glacier show July highs around 80°F with lows near 50°F, and August is the driest month, with about seven wet days. Several trails start close by. McDonald Creek Cutoff is about half a mile away, and Avalanche Cutoff and Upper McDonald Creek Trail are each under a mile off. Farther out, Mount Brown Trail lies about 2 miles away.
Waterfall Facts
Elevation
3,300 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Sacred Dancing Cascade
Montana
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 64–80°F and lows of 39–50°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the W Glacier, MT weather station, 12 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan30° high19° low
- Feb34° high19° low
- Mar42° high25° low
- Apr53° high31° low
- May64° high39° low
- Jun70° high45° low
- Jul80° high50° low
- Aug79° high48° low
- Sep68° high41° low
- Oct52° high33° low
- Nov37° high26° low
- Dec29° high20° low
Where it is
- Glacier National Park · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- West Glacier, Montana · 12 mi
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Glacier National Park as of Oct 9, 2026:
Going-to-the-Sun Road is Open for 2026 Season
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
McDonald Creek CutoffHikingPhoto: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.6 mi
Avalanche CutoffHikingPhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.8 mi- Upper McDonald Creek TrailHikingPhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.8 mi
Avalanche Campground TrailHikingPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.6 mi- Mount Brown TrailHiking2.2 mi
- Snyder Lake TrailHiking2.5 mi
- Glacier National ParkRock climbing7.2 mi
Saint Mary RiverCanoeingPhoto: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)8.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Sacred Dancing Cascade open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Glacier National Park. It doesn't name Sacred Dancing Cascade, 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.
Best time to visit Sacred Dancing Cascade
Best months: July–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
30° / 19°
18 wet
Feb
34° / 19°
15 wet
Mar
42° / 25°
15 wet
Apr
53° / 31°
14 wet
May
64° / 39°
14 wet
Jun
70° / 45°
14 wet
Jul
80° / 50°
9 wet
Aug
79° / 48°
7 wet
Sep
68° / 41°
9 wet
Oct
52° / 33°
13 wet
Nov
37° / 26°
16 wet
Dec
29° / 20°
18 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at W Glacier, MT, 11.5 mi away at 3,148 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
