St. Mary Lake

Even nonhikers will want to stop at the Sun Point [1] trailhead and walk a few yards to the “peak finder.”

Of the nine peaks visible from Sun Point, Going-to-the-Sun Mountain stands out at 9,942 feet. The mountain, whose name was taken for the road [2], recalls Napi, the Blackfoot Old Man, who left his home in the sun to help the Blackfeet. Once he had finished his work on earth, he returned home via this mountain.

Boat tours (406/257-2426, www.glacierparkboats.com [3], 10 a.m., noon, 2, and 4 p.m. daily, 1.5-hour cruise, adults $20, children $14; 6:30 p.m. daily one-hour cruise, adults $14, children $7) of St. Mary Lake set out several times a day from the dock across from the Rising Sun complex.

The 6:30 p.m. sunset cruise is popular, but unlike the daytime rides it’s not accompanied by a park naturalist. Passengers on the 10 a.m. boat can enjoy an optional two-hour walk to St. Mary Falls with a guide and return later.