Postcards From the Park

Reminiscing about summer at Montana's Virginia Falls

Subject: Virginia Falls, Glacier National Park

It feels as though summer comes and goes quickly in Montana. During the course of my busy summer, I somehow never got around to editing the majority of my photos from this last season. While outside today we are having a first, long cold snap (8 degrees Fahrenheit). I am revisiting and editing those summer images. I feel like I am reading postcards. Every image is so vibrant and full of that magical golden summer warmth. It seems to say, Wish you were here, or maybe that’s me wishing I was there. Either way, I can’t wait for next season.

Virginia Falls is an easy, accessible hike off of the eastern portion of the Going-To-The-Sun Road accessed from the St. Mary’s Trailhead. The first waterfall along the trail is usually a stopping point for many visitors, as St. Mary’s Falls boasts a spectacular double fall through a red-rocked canyon. However, you must continue on. Virginia Falls is quieter. The crowds don’t make it back this far. I’ll be honest, though; it’s a bit of a muddy mess towards the end. When you reach the end of the trail, you’ll find a long, thin fall cascading down into a small basin. If you are mindful of the slippery rock, then you can walk out onto a fairly flat sheet close to the base of the falls. However, on a late spring or early summer day, you will get soaked. By the time I left this hike, I was drenched. But it felt clean, and I enjoyed the hike back in the sunshine drying off.