Very beautiful, peaceful lake with gorgeous views. At the boat dock there are boat trips that you can book and the have canoes that can be rented at a very reasonable rate per hour. You can also just walk along shore and enjoy. Some people were having a picnic lunch and just sitting back to enjoy.

Visited the Park briefly in early January when most of the park is inaccessible, and it made a pleasant half a day trip from Whitefish. The West Glacier gate was open and not staffed. From there we were able to drive the part of the Going-to-the-Sun-Road that remains open in Winter to get to near Lake McDonald Lodge. You can park the car on a parking lot just off the main road; There were working and open washrooms at that carpark. From there you can walk, ski or snowshoe the closed Going-to-the-Sun Road to get to McDonald Falls and Sacred Dancing Cascade. John’s Lake Loop trail was partially closed due to bridge construction on North Lake McDonald Rd, so we opted to skip it. The walk was easy (on a paved but snow-covered road), there were only a handful of people there, and we saw some elk wandering about. The walk from parking lot to Sacred Dancing Cascade is approx. 7km back and forth, and took us 1 hour 30 mins of leisure walking. Lake McDonald Lodge is closed for the season, but you can access a small pier and beach in front of it for pleasant lake views. Apgar Village was also fully closed for the season. There’s again a small parking lot facing McDonald Lake, with a tiny pier with beautiful views of the lake and of the beach hotel, The Village Inn (also closed). All in all, we enjoyed our short venture. It’s lovely for a quick ski or snowshoe, or to just get a glimpse of Glacier National Park in the quiet Winter season.

Lake McDonald should be viewed, experienced, explored and admired throughout your visit to the park. Two lodges (Lake McDonald Lodge and The Village Inn) rest on its shores and you can also view it by stopping along the road. The sunrise gave inspiring views and so did the sunset. The night sky reflection was also stunning. There are outfitters who rent paddle boards and kayaks if you want to get out on the lake, too.

Now that Lake McDonald is again accessible without a Sun Road Ticket, we visited again and enjoyed it as much as before. The long distance views from the beach next to the Village Inn, from the boat dock & the Apgar Picnic Area are the best for lake/mountain peak photos. The beach also gives you a chance to photograph the famous multi colored rocks beneath the water.

While driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road, we stopped at Lake McDonald and saw the beautiful colored rocks. Had the sun been shining, I'm sure the rocks would have been even more colorful. The views were amazing! The water was so clear! A must stop!

Beautiful, icon views of Glacier National Park! Love the areas where you can sit and look at the water and just relax. There are many trail options from easy to hard around the lake as well. Taking a boat cruise is another great way to get off the beaten path and enjoy Glacier NP!