St. Mary's Glacier is a fun, moderate hike. It's a wonderful place to take your friends and family. It sits just 12 miles East of Idaho Springs. St. Mary's Glacier is also known as St. Mary's Alice since it is not technically a "glacier" but a semi-permanent snowfield. This snowfield is there year round which brings skiers and snowboarders throughout the spring and summer who just can't turn down a run. When I went in June it was 80 degrees and the snow was still pretty thick. That's not to say that the whole area is covered in snow. In fact, most of the area isn't covered at all! The snowfield sits on the top west side of the valley. The trail runs about 1.5 miles out-and-back if you hike up to the lake. About 2 miles if you choose to climb up beside the glacier.
The hike is somewhat hill-y, and there are a few spots where you have to hike over rocks. It's honestly a pretty easy hike, as long as you're careful and watch your step during those rocky sections. If you're adventurous you can find a waterfall just off the trail and it's a great place to snap a picture, but ultimately the real views are further ahead.
As you finally reach the top you'll start to see a valley filled with trees, bushes, a lake and wildlife. It's a great place to meditate and sit in the serenity around you. If you would like an even better view you can hike up to the top overlooking the lake with mountain views all around. This part of the hike, if you choose to do it, is much more difficult. It's almost straight uphill with rocks underneath you at all times. But, if you watch your step and remain focused it's not that crazy and the views make it worth all the climbing. It's the perfect place to take your favorite CBD product and relax with the magnificent views surrounding you. Not to mention CBD really helps me recover after a workout.
If I were to give this trail a review from 1-5 I would definitely rate this a 4.5 just on the views alone. It's a pretty decent hike that isn't hard and isn't long at all. My only complaint is that it can be crowded on the weekends, but any beautiful place such as this will attract many people. Even though it can be crowded I've never had an issue finding a parking spot with the couple of times I've gone. Just being able to experience the beauty in this colorful state is worth it in my book.
