Saint Mary Lake
Saint Mary Lake is the second-largest lake in Glacier National Park, in the U.S. state of Montana. Look for it 7 mi southwest of St. Mary. Around it, Triple Divide Peak (7.7 mi) comes first on our list.
A lake, 7 mi southwest of St. Mary
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 13°. When to go ↓
St. Mary is the nearest base
St. Mary is 7 miles northeast, with 7 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jun, Jul and Aug
June, July and August are the mild months, with highs of 65–75°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Warm months and cold ones
This is the year’s weather near Saint Mary Lake.
Saint Mary Lake
Saint Mary Lake is the second-largest lake in Glacier National Park, in the U.S. state of Montana.
Located on the east side of the park, Going-to-the-Sun Road parallels the lake along its north shore. At an elevation of 4,484 feet (1,367 m), Saint Mary Lake's waters are colder and lie almost 1,500 feet (460 m) higher in elevation than Lake McDonald, the largest lake in the park, which is located on the west side of the Continental Divide. Here, the Great Plains end and the Rocky Mountains begin in an abrupt 5,000-foot (1,500 m) elevation change, with Little Chief Mountain posing a formidable southern flank above the west end of the lake.
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 3,904 acres
- Elevation
- 4,485 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 25K a year
Staying near Saint Mary Lake
Hotels, motels or campgrounds are closest in St. Mary (7) and East Glacier Park Village (16).
St. Mary
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
193 people · 46% vacation homes
7 mi northeast of Saint Mary Lake
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Saint Mary Lake | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Mary 46% vacation homes | 7 mi northeast | 10 min | 7 1 hotel · 1 motel · 2 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 193 | — |
| East Glacier Park Village | 22 mi southeast | 35 min | 16 4 hotels · 3 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 6 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 1 campground | 271 | $194K |
| West Glacier 37% vacation homes | 25 mi southwest | 35 min | 21 6 hotels · 2 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 263 | $498K |
| Coram 27% vacation homes | 29 mi southwest | 45 min | 17 5 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 4 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 452 | $243K |
| Babb | 15 mi north | 20 min | 3 1 hotel · 1 motel · 1 campground | 223 | $188K |
| Martin City | 30 mi southwest | 45 min | 5 4 lodges & cabins · 1 RV park | 342 | $573K |
| Pinnacle 84% vacation homes | 23 mi south | 35 min | 2 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 48 | $396K |
| Browning | 26 mi east | 40 min | 2 1 campground · 1 RV park | 943 | $152K |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
More near Saint Mary Lake
Places worth adding lie within 64 miles.
18 mi MountainTriple Divide Peak
60 mi LakeFlathead Lake
227 mi Park & preserveWaterton-Glacier International Peace Park39 mi Ski areaWhitefish Mountain Resort137 runs · 2,292 ft vertical
64 mi Park & preserveBob Marshall Wilderness315 mi National ParkGlacier National Park3.1M visitors a year
48 mi MuseumLogan Pass Visitor Center62 mi Ski areaTeton Pass Ski Resort39 runs · 910 ft verticalPhoto credits
Triple Divide Peak: Eggbones, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Flathead Lake: The original uploader was Cactus.man at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park: Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the Univers, Public domain · Bob Marshall Wilderness: United States Forest Service, Public domain · Logan Pass Visitor Center: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
Saint Mary Lake: common questions
What town is Saint Mary Lake near?
St. Mary, MT, about 7 miles northeast.
When is the best time to visit Saint Mary Lake?
June, July and August, with highs of 65–75°.
What is the closest airport to Saint Mary Lake?
Glacier Park (FCA), about 41 miles away. The nearest big hub is Spokane (GEG), about 198 miles.
Where should I stay near Saint Mary Lake?
St. Mary (7 mi, 7 places to stay), East Glacier Park Village (22 mi, 16 places to stay) and West Glacier (25 mi, 21 places to stay).
Ask people in St. Mary
Start the conversation in St. Mary’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.