Aster Falls
| Trail Features: | Waterfalls |  |
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| Trail Location: | Two Medicine (South Shore Trailhead) | ||||
| Roundtrip Length: | 2.8 Miles | ||||
| Total Elevation Gain: | 320 Feet | ||||
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 229 Feet | ||||
| Highest Elevation: | 5320 Feet | ||||
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 3.44 (easy) | ||||
| Parking Lot Latitude | 48.48381 | ||||
| Parking Lot Longitude | -113.36954 | ||||
Trail Description:
The hike to Aster Falls in Glacier National Park begins from the South Shore Trailhead at Two Medicine Lake. Just going to the trailhead is a worthwhile experience. The sublime view from the eastern shore of the lake, with Painted Tepee Peak, Sinopah Mountain, Lone Walker Mountain and Mt. Helen forming a picture perfect backdrop, is one of the most beautiful scenes in all of Glacier.
At just over a quarter-of-a-mile from the trailhead you'll reach the short side trail to Paradise Point, a small beach area that offers commanding views of Two Medicine Lake and Rising Wolf Mountain. The area around the lake is also a fairly good place for spotting moose.
Roughly one-half mile from the trailhead hikers will arrive at the first in a series of small beaver ponds. This area, over the next quarter-mile or so, is prime habitat for moose, which are frequently seen foraging in and around the ponds, especially in the mornings and late afternoons. On our most recent hike we saw four moose foraging in this area. Throughout this section the trail travels through a montane forest of lodgepole pine, spruce and Douglass fir, with several small and large meadows interspersed along the route.
At 1.1 miles hikers will cross over Aster Creek, and in a short distance will reach the Aster Park Trail, which leads to Aster Falls and Aster Park Overlook.
In less than a tenth-of-a-mile, after turning left onto the Aster Park Trail, hikers will reach a short side trail that leads down to the base of Aster Falls, a 20-foot waterfall that cascades down a rock face in a succession of three drops.
If you still have the energy after viewing the falls you can continue your hike up to Aster Park Overlook. The trail from this point, however, climbs more than 500 feet in just three-quarters of a mile, but is well worth the effort as the views of Two Medicine Lake, Rising Wolf Mountain, Flinsch Peak and Dawson Pass are quite outstanding from this vantage point. You'll also have the option of continuing your hike to Rockwell Falls, which will add another 4.6 miles to your overall trip mileage.
