Sunrift Gorge is a cascade in Glacier National Park, Montana, where Baring Creek pours into a narrow, 80-foot-deep slot just off Going-to-the-Sun Road on the east side of the park. It sits a short walk upstream of Baring Falls and Saint Mary Lake in Glacier County.
The falls
Baring Creek plunges into a gorge about 800 feet long and 80 feet deep. The channel is unusually straight because the creek followed an existing fracture, or joint, in the bedrock and carved the gorge along it. Below the gorge the creek continues to Saint Mary Lake. From the overlook, visitors look down into the slot and upstream along the falling water.
Getting there
Sunrift Gorge has its own pullout and trailhead on Going-to-the-Sun Road. The overlook is 200 feet from the road, under 0.1 mile one way with 65 feet of gain, including a few stairs. Parking is very limited, and there are no restrooms.
Summer admission to Glacier is $35 per private vehicle for seven days. Non-US residents aged 16 and older pay an extra $100 per person unless they hold an eligible pass. The park requires no vehicle reservations in 2026.
When to go
Spring snowmelt and summer thunderstorms bring the most forceful water through the gorge.
On site
The overlook sits a few stairs above the road on its north side, and a path also drops beneath the road bridge along the creek toward Baring Falls. The water is very cold and rocks and logs can be extremely slippery; drowning is the leading cause of death in the park. Visitors should take extra care around water, steep drop-offs and wildlife.
Nearby
Baring Falls, reached on a short trail from the same parking area, is about 0.2 mile away. Saint Mary Falls is about 1.2 miles away and Virginia Falls about 1.5 miles.
Distances are straight-line.