Things to do nearTrail of the Cedars Nature Trailhead

Trail of the Cedars Nature Trailhead sits near the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor in Glacier National Park, one of the most ecologically diverse protected landscapes in North America. The trail itself is a roughly one-mile paved and boardwalk loop that winds through a rare inland temperate rainforest, a forest type more commonly associated with the Pacific Coast than the northern Rockies. Western red cedars and black cottonwoods of extraordinary girth line the path, their roots anchored in soil kept perpetually moist by Avalanche Creek and its tributaries. Interpretive signs placed along the route explain the ecology of old-growth forest, the role of fire and flood in shaping the landscape, and the wildlife that depends on this habitat, from Pacific giant salamanders to great horned owls.

Near the midpoint of the loop, the boardwalk crosses directly above Avalanche Gorge, where the creek has carved deep channels through red argillite rock over thousands of years, producing a series of pools and cascades that shift color with the light.

The trailhead is accessible to visitors with limited mobility for much of its length, making it one of the more inclusive experiences within Glacier National Park. Because the route connects directly to the Avalanche Lake Trail, it also serves as the starting point for one of the park's most beloved longer hikes. The surrounding forest feels genuinely ancient, and a single walk through it conveys the scale of geological and ecological time in a way that few short trails anywhere can match.