Iceberg Lake

Iceberg Lake earns its name from the chunks of glacial ice that float on its surface well into summer, surrounded by towering amphitheater walls that drop more than 3,000 feet straight into the water. The dramatic cirque geometry is the real draw here, giving you a near-perfect bowl of striated rock reflected in the lake's deep blue-green water. Shoot from the shoreline to capture floating ice in the foreground against the sheer cliffs behind, or work around the trail's end to find angles where the walls frame the sky above. Midday light actually works well here since the high surrounding walls would block golden hour sun, but overcast days are ideal for even, shadow-free exposure on the rock faces. A wide-angle lens in the 16-24mm range lets you capture the full scale of the cirque. The hike is 4.8 miles one way from the Swiftcurrent Auto Camp trailhead, with steady but manageable elevation gain. (Glacier National Park, Montana, United States)