The hike to St. Mary and Virginia Falls in Glacier National Park has always been one of the most popular strolls in the park.

In the aftermath of last year’s Reynolds Creek Fire, the landscape is even more dramatic.

Gone is the dense forest that once greeted visitors. Now the landscape has open views of the surrounding peaks through the skeletons of roasted trees.

Mats of wildflowers bloom in the burned woods and while one might think such a landscape would be devoid of bird life, just the opposite is true. The woods teem with summer species, including mountain bluebirds, various woodpeckers, as well as several different warblers and thrushes.

The trail was burned to St. Mary Falls and from there it’s unscathed woods to Virginia Falls, so in the span of a couple of miles a visitor can see how the landscape look Hungry ed before the fire and after.

The hike itself is easy. The guidebooks say it’s 1.8 miles to Virginia Falls, but since Going-to-the-Sun Road was reconstructed, the trailhead was moved, which adds about a half-mile to the hike, unless you take a shuttle. The shuttle stop is where the old trailhead used to be, so the mileage is accurate. If you drive on your own, the trailhead is down the road a bit.

The elevation gain and loss are modest. Hikers drop down about 260 feet to St. Mary Falls and then gain about 280 feet back up to Virginia Falls. Caution should be used near both bodies of water — people have fallen in and drowned there.

Glacier also offers interpretive hikes along the trail. Check the park literature handout at the entrance for exact times and dates.