Encompassing more than a million acres, Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana is home to some of the most beautiful alpine meadows, lakes, pristine forests, rugged peaks and glacially-carved valleys in the world. Its diverse habitats support nearly 70 species of mammals, including grizzly bears, black bears, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, moose, wolverines, gray wolves and mountain lions. With more than 740 miles of trails leading to some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet, Glacier is also a hiker's paradise.
Considering its massive size, most people divide the park into sections in order to focus on one or two areas at a time. The four most popular areas in the park are West Glacier and Lake McDonald, Two Medicine, Logan Pass, and Many Glacier. The following are a few suggestions for day hikes in each of these areas.
Two Medicine:
Although not quite as popular as some of the other areas in Glacier, the Two Medicine Valley in the southeast corner of the park still offers some incredibly beautiful scenery. One of the best hikes in this area leads to
Scenic Point. This rock outcropping, which sits above an alpine tundra meadow, offers panoramic views of much of the entire Two Medicine Valley. On a clear day you can even see the Sweet Grass Hills rising above the Great Plains roughly 90 miles away!
The most well-known backcountry hike in the Two Medicine area is
Dawson Pass. Although this route usually gets most of the attention, I think the views from
Pitamakan Pass are much more dramatic. From the knife-edge ridge you can see five cobalt-blue lakes on either side of the divide. Can’t decide on which one to hike? The two passes can be combined to create one epic day on the trail.
Many Glacier:
One of the most popular destinations in the park is Many Glacier. Classic hikes such as
Iceberg Lake and
Grinnell Glacier get most of the attention; however, there are two other destinations that shouldn’t be overlooked, especially if you’re seeking a degree of solitude in this stunning valley.
One of these is
Ptarmigan Tunnel. The highlight of this hike is passing through a 240-foot tunnel that was cut through Ptarmigan Wall. The tunnel was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930's so that visitors on horseback could pass over into the remote Belly River area. After hiking all day in the Many Glacier Valley, walking through the tunnel and emerging on the other side is like passing into another world. The views from the opposite end are simply stunning.
The other destination,
Cracker Lake, has to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. It has the most beautiful turquoise color you could ever imagine. If it were possible to ignore the magnificent scenery of the surrounding mountains, it would still be well worth the 12.6-mile roundtrip hike to see the amazing color of this lake. Cracker Lake’s deep shade of turquoise is the result of light refraction through its suspended load of glacial silt.
West Glacier / Lake McDonald:
For more than a century one of the things that has made hiking in Glacier unique are its two Swiss-style backcountry chalets: Granite Park and Sperry. The Granite Park Chalet can be reached by taking the epic
Highline Trail from Logan Pass, or by making the 4.2-mile climb from
The Loop area on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Although the historic dormitory building at
Sperry Chalet was severely burned during the summer of 2017, the outer stone structure survived. Fortunately for all, the chalet was rebuilt, and reopened for the 2020 season. The 6.1-mile hike from the Lake McDonald Lodge to the chalet passes through Glacier Basin where hikers will enjoy views of several waterfalls flowing hundreds of feet down the cliff walls that surround the alpine meadow. Day hikers may also want to note that the dining room is open for hot lunches during the summer season.
From that same trailhead is the hike that leads to the historic
Mt. Brown Fire Lookout. The trail climbs 4250 feet in only 5 miles, making it one of the toughest day hikes in the park. The elevation gain is similar to the amount gained on many of the trails leading to the summits of 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado. However, at a much lower elevation, hikers will have far more oxygen to breathe. From the lookout the views into the heart of Glacier are simply amazing.
For a much easier hike, but one that still includes the stunning scenery that Glacier is famous for, be sure to check out
Avalanche Lake.
Logan Pass:
To see the best of what Glacier National Park has to offer you have to go deep into the high country. One of the most popular hikes in the park is the Highline Trail. In fact, this world famous hike should be on the bucket list of every self-respecting hiker! The views, the wildlife and the wildflowers, all combine to make this a hike you'll remember the rest of your life. From Logan Pass, high adventure awaits from the start. Just beyond the trailhead hikers will arrive at the famous ledge with
the reputation for terrifying those with a fear of heights. In most places the ledge, hanging like a shelf, is only six to eight feet in width, and has sheer drop-offs of roughly one hundred feet or more. Fortunately, the park has installed a hand cable along this stretch of the trail. My advice is to not let this deter you, as this is one of the most scenic trails in America. Almost 99% of the Highline passes through open country, so there's never any dull scenery on this hike. The trail is also famous for wildlife, especially bighorn sheep and mountain goats, which are frequently seen just off the side of the trail. Hikers will have the choice of taking the moderate hike to
Haystack Pass, or the extremely strenuous hike up to an overlook along the crest of the Continental Divide which offers
stunning views of Grinnell Glacier, some one thousand feet below. This just might be the best view in the park.
Just a notch below the Highline Trail on the “awesome meter”, but far less crowded, is
Piegan Pass. The trail offers mind-blowing views of mountains, glaciers, alpine meadows and an up-close view of the Garden Wall, a glacially-carved arête that marks the Continental Divide. Near Piegan Pass, and one of my absolute favorite areas in Glacier, is
Preston Park. In the early summer, after the snow finally melts, this incredibly beautiful alpine meadow becomes a carpet of wildflowers.
For more information on all these hikes, and many others throughout the park, please visit
HikinginGlacier.com.
*******************************************************************************
Glacier National Park preserves more than a million acres of some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth.
With more than 740 miles of trails meandering throughout this vast park, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?
Exploring Glacier National Park takes all the guesswork out by focusing on the most amazing hikes, and provides you with handpicked recommendations that will allow you to make the most of your trip to Glacier:
