About Baring Falls
Baring Falls was a short but stocky waterfall falling maybe around 30ft or so.
We thought of it as a pleasant and short day hike allowing us to do a little walking to take a break from driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Admittedly, Julie and I kind of did this waterfall with a little haste during our late September 2010 hike.
That was because the grizzly bears were out and about munching on berries that were in season at the time so they could fatten up for the Winter.
Moreover, the bad weather during our visit didn’t help matters either.
Thus, we were content just to take photos, but we didn’t do anything more with the Baring Falls.
Hiking to Baring Falls
There seemed to be more than one way to hike to the falls, but the way we did it was to start from the pullout for Sunrift Gorge (see directions below).
From here, we descended on a well-used trail passing by some smaller rapids and cascades before turning right at a junction.
We then followed the trail past a one-sided footbridge where the Baring Falls could be seen and we could get closer once we traversed the bridge.
There was signage just underneath the road bridge near the Sunrift Gorge saying that the hike was 0.5-mile each way, but I swore it felt a bit longer than that.
When we visited Sun Point, it also seemed like it was possible to reach Baring Falls in a slightly longer hike from here.
Moreover, we noticed it was also possible to reach the falls from the trailhead for St Mary Falls further up the road in the direction of Logan Pass.
Finally, I only learned after the fact that it was possible to get to the top of the falls as well as to go behind it.
Since we’re hoping for a return trip to the park when the Going-to-the-Sun Road is fully open, we figure that would be the time to come back here and see what else this waterfall had to offer.
Authorities
Baring Falls resides in Glacier National Park near St Mary in Glacier County, Montana. It is administered by the National Park Service. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.
Since there were three possible trailheads that I know of to reach Baring Falls, we’ll go into how to drive to each one.
Driving from St Mary to the Sunrift Gorge
From from the St Mary Visitor Center, we drove a little over 10 miles due west on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
We ultimately looked for the pullout for Sunrift Gorge just before its bridge.
Beyond the bridge, there’s a shuttle stop, but I don’t think parking was allowed there.
Driving from St Mary to Sun Point or St Mary Falls
If you’re up for extending the walk from Sun Point, then you can drive west on the Going-to-the-Sun Road from St Mary Visitor Center to the Sun Point turnoff to the left at a little under 10 miles.
Follow the short turnoff to its end where there’s a large car park.
For starting the hike at the trailhead for St Mary Falls, see the St Mary Falls page.
To give you some context, St Mary was under 9 miles south of Babb and 203 miles (3.5 hours drive) north of Helena. Across the US-Canada border, St Mary was 47 miles (an hour drive) southeast of Waterton and 180 miles (3 hours drive) south of Calgary.
Find A Place To Stay
Fixated on the falls
Following the flow of the water from the falls to the one-sided footbridge
Related Trip Reports
Related Top 10 Lists
No Posts Found
Related Itineraries
Trip Planning Resources
Nearby Accommodations
Featured Images and Nearby Attractions
Visitor Comments:
Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...No users have replied to the content on this page
Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:
If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall
Nearest Waterfalls
