Just a short distance east from the St. Mary Falls/Virginia Falls trailhead, you reach another parking area, offering a short walk to another cascade–Baring Falls.
Even if you don’t want to hike the 1/2 mile to Baring Falls (1 mile round trip), this is still a good place to step out of the car and stretch your legs. The trail passes underneath this stone bridge, which carries Going to the Sun Road. There’s a small waterfall right here, next to the road.
Start down the trail to Baring Falls, and you’ll spot other unnamed falls (at least, unnamed as far as I know–there are no signs labeling them). This one is just below the trail, you’ll need to slide down a small embankment to see it up-close.
It’s easy to find a quiet corner along the trail…
… where you’ll be all to yourself. Eventually the trail separates from the creek, but the two meet up again…
… once you reach Baring Falls.
Baring Falls up close…
…and a wider shot, showing the creek below it. From here, the creek empties into St. Mary Lake, which is nearby (although you can’t see it from here).
Explore the area and you’ll find a trail which, I believe, will lead you to the top of the falls. I didn’t try it, though.
Note: This trip was first published in 2006. Much of the same area was covered in the Big Sky trip in 2014.
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