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Reynolds Mountain & Dragons Tail
Reynolds Mountain is located in Montana's Glacier National Park. This attractive horn shaped peak is found not far south of the Logan Pass Visitor's Center, and is accessible from the popular Hidden Lake trail. The peak is a fun scramble that can be done in a half day, or add nearby Dragon's Tail to extend the adventure. Reynolds wasn't originally on the itinerary for this trip, but after a fun day on Mount Siyeh the day prior, we decided a return trip to the Logan Pass area was a necessity. But since we didn't have a reservation to drive up Going to the Sun Road, we needed camp close to GNP to enter the park before 6am. Fortunately for us, the West Glacier KOA had one open tent site. The next morning, after getting in the park by 5:45am, we joined a motorcade of cars driving to Logan Pass, who's parking lot was already almost full by the time we arrived.
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View of Reynolds Mountain just after leaving Logan Pass.
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Even with an early start, the Hidden Lake trail was already packed. This group is checking out a couple marmots next to the boardwalk.
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We left the boardwalk at the pass, and left the hoards of people behind. Still plenty of marmots though, including this one guarding the trail.
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After heading south for a bit, the trail gained the ridge, which provided a great view of Hidden Lake.
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Here's a view of Reynolds from the northwest. From here, the trail contours around the west side of Reynolds.
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As we neared the saddle southwest of Reynolds, Dragons Tail comes into view. More on that later…
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From the saddle, we headed east for a bit, then up to this scramble section on the south side of Reynolds.
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We continued up Reynolds, with this scree section leading us up. Check out Dragons Tail in the background! Again, more on that later…
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Having completed the scree section, we arrived at the based of Reynolds summit block, where the scrambling begins. A climber in gray ahead of us is barely visible near the skyline.
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The scramble section is steep, but occasional cairns help with route-finding.
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This airy ledge led us westward.
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Finally on the summit ridge. The ridge itself was straightforward, but with plenty of exposure.
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Group shot on the summit of Reynolds Mountain.
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Summit views to the south include nearby Dragons Tail, and Mount Jackson further in the distance.
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After a snack, it was time to head down. Hidden Lake appears almost straight down from here.
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Once back at the saddle, we deliberated a bit, and I was able to convince John to join me on a climb of Dragons Tail. Here we area angling along the ledges on the east side of the peak.
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After what seemed like a long and exposed traverse along the east side edges, we climbed up blocky terrain just before the prominent gully.
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The blocks were fun scrambling, but took longer than expected. So it felt good to finally be on the summit ridge.
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Reynolds was impressive from the summit of Dragons Tail.
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But with Michael waiting, we couldn't stay long. Time to head back down the blocky section. Route-finding on the way down was even more challenging than the way up.
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Once down the blocky section, we still had to follow the long ledge back to the saddle. Here's John taking his time, with Reynolds in the background.
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Both peaks had been a lot of fun, and soon enough we were back with the hoards of people heading down the boardwalk. All walks of life, and many unequped for thunderstorm that came a half hour later.
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In spite of the crowds, wildlife can be abundant on this trail. This bighorn seemed unfazed by all the people.
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Map of our route. Round trip was about 10 miles and 3700' of elevation gain. It took us just under 8 hours.
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Related Links
Reynolds Mountain
Dragons Tail
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