Forest and Fire Nature Trail
in Montana
Welcome to the Forest & Fire Nature Trail. Depending on where you’re from, the word “wildfire” can be letters on a page or... a whole lot more. For some, the word “wildfire” can trigger dramatic and visceral recall of the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the earth on fire.
Fire has long had a strong hand in shaping Glacier’s landscape. The following exhibits show and tell the story of fire and forests in Glacier National Park over the last hundred or so years. You are encouraged to consider how that relationship has evolved over time.
The parking lot of this trailhead has a series of exhibits about wildfire. Some of them are in the middle of the parking lot and another is nearby at the start of the trail. There is an audio tour of the exhibits that reads and describes the panels, as well as an additional audio stop along the trail.
- States
- Montana
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Spokane, WA · 166 mi · ~5 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 48.6242°, -114.1300°
About Glacier National Park
This trail is inside Glacier National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $35 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/forest-fire-nature-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Forest and Fire Nature Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Other trails within 50 miles
Forest and Fire Nature Trail Fire Ecology
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Trail of the Cedars
15 miles from this trail's centroid
Avalanche Lake Trail
15 miles from this trail's centroid
The Loop
18 miles from this trail's centroid
St. Mary Falls Trail
24 miles from this trail's centroid
Redrock Falls Trail
24 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.