Article Overview: Best Hikes in Glacier National Park
There’s something incredibly special about visiting Glacier National Park and its stunning Rocky Mountain scenery. While you can view a lot of the park from your car, I say there’s nothing quite like actually hiking in it. With the park spanning an impressive 1 million acres, or 1,580 square miles, there are hikes for any age or level of fitness.
In this article, I’ll share what I believe are the best hikes in Glacier National Park as well as give you some helpful pointers along the way. For starters, I’ve labeled each hike as easy, moderate, or strenuous. The list starts on the easier side of things, for those with families, specific accessibility needs, or for those who just want a relaxing day.
Gradually, we’ll move along to the more challenging hikes. In addition, the time required listed for each hike is the average amount other hikers have reported back. I wouldn’t plan a tight schedule based on that estimate as it may take you a little longer to complete.
As a general and very important note about hiking in Glacier, bears do frequent the area. I’m not saying this to scare you, but just to make sure you’re prepared. I’d suggest carrying a can of bear spray.
Alright, let’s get to the list!
Best Hikes in Glacier National Park
Table of Contents: Best Hikes in Glacier National Park
About My Travels to Glacier National Park
Visiting Glacier National Park was long a bucket list item for me. I researched extensively before visiting Glacier National park for the first time. Did I drive the entire Going to the Sun Road on Google maps before going? No comment.
I can tell you that Glacier National Park is way more beautiful in person than in photos, even some of the spectacular ones that are out there these days. Glacier National Park is one of the grandfathers of the national parks system and continues to stand the test of time as one of the best national parks in the US.
This exceedingly beautiful mountainous park and its jaw-dropping vistas make other park overlooks seem tame by comparison.
Glacier National Park Timed Entry Permit
TIMED ENTRY PERMIT: To access Going-To-The-Sun Road (a must), the Polebridge Ranger Station, West Entrance, St. Mary Entrance, and the Camas Entrance entrance you MUST first obtain a timed-entry ticket.
These tickets can be obtained via recreation.gov here up to 60 days in advance and typically go up on the site starting in March. The cost is $2 per vehicle and the ticket is good for 7 days. Entry Tickets are only required for the Going to the sun Road between the hours of 6am-5pm.
Learn more about all the national parks that currently require reservations.
5 Quick Things to Know Before Visiting Glacier National Park
- The entrance fees to Glacier are $25 per vehicle from November 1 through April 30. Otherwise, it’s $35 per vehicle. If you have the interagency pass, America the Beautiful, you won’t have to pay a fee. The once-a-year $80 fee gives you access to more than 2,000 public lands.
- Mobile service is spotty at best. Bring a Glacier National Park Guidebook and or a map of the Glacier to help during your trip.
- The Best Time to Visit Glacier National Park is during the summer months when the park is fully open. The best months are July – September, when the trails are mostly clear of snow, and the park is teeming with wildflowers and wildlife.
- Drive times in the park can be deceptively long as navigating roads in the mountains takes more time. Distances that are relatively short via crow flight can take hours to complete based on existing roads.
- Consider taking the Glacier National Park shuttle service, which operates seasonally on Going to the Sun Road, instead of taking a car to lighten your footprint on the park and eliminate the stress of driving.
Top 15 Best Hikes in Glacier National Park
15. Baring Falls Hike
- Distance: 0.7 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 108 ft.
- Time Required: 30 minutes
About this Glacier National Park Hike
This trail is an easily accessible little gem, which is why it makes the list of best hikes in Glacier National Park. It’s typically not as crowded because most people don’t even know it’s there. It’s very close to the popular St. Mary and Virginia Falls, which often overshadow it. Personally, I like to bring a snack and sit and enjoy the waterfall for a little while before heading back down to my car.
Quick tip, the parking lot at Sunrift Gorge is pretty large, but it can fill up fast. I would recommend getting there early so you don’t have to fight for a space.
14. Redrock Falls
Distance: 3.6 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: 100 ft.
Time Required: 1.5 hours
About this Glacier National Park Hike
The trail for Redrock Falls begins at the Swiftcurrent Trailhead. It’s a relatively flat hike and pretty simple for those wanting some easy distance. Overall, this trail is one of the best hikes in Glacier National Park for families.
But be forewarned, it can be muddy due to the mist from the falls and snow runoff depending on the time of year. So if you have adventurous little ones, it may become messy. Perhaps a great photo op.
This area is also great for wildlife activity. There are several ponds along the way that frequently have moose in them. Bighorn sheep also make regular appearances and sometimes even bears.
13. St. Mary and Virginia Falls
Distance: 3.6 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: 285
Time Required: 1.5 hours
Hiking this Glacier National Park Trail
The St. Mary and Virginia Falls trail is one of the most popular trails in the park and for good reason. While most reviews online don’t talk about it, you can swim in the lake at St. Mary’s Fall. St Mary & Virginia Falls is one of the best hikes in Glacier National Park for swimming. Rangers watch to make sure everyone is being safe, but there are plenty of rocks to jump off of at varying heights into the cool water.
After you have your fill of fun swimming, head about another 0.8 miles ahead to see Virginia Falls. This is a great place to stop and have some lunch before heading back down.
12. Trail of the Cedars
Distance: 1.4 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: none
Time Required: 30 minutes
About this Glacier National Park Hike
Nature should be accessible to all, and sadly it’s often not. I’d like to commend the park for creating this handicap-accessible trail. Wheelchairs and even strollers can easily navigate the boardwalk path through the ancient cedars to a waterfall at the end. Trail of the Cedars is by far the best hike in Glacier National park for accessibility.
If you’re a seasoned hiker, you may want to skip this one. I think it’s beautiful, but definitely nothing strenuous. It can also be pretty crowded due to the accessibility.
11. Cracker Lake
Distance: Moderate
Difficulty: 12.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,400 ft
Time Required: 6 hours
About this Glacier National Park Hike
On your way to Cracker Lake, the trail is pretty consistently uphill, just as fair warning. The incline isn’t very steep though and you’ll be traversing through the scenic Cracker Flats area. Definitely bring your bug spray. They’re out in full force on this trail.
The lake itself is a stunning turquoise color from the glacial water. And the hike back down is nearly all downhill which automatically makes it one of the best hikes in Glacier National Park. Remember how I mentioned bear spray up above? Well, this trail is known for bear sightings. Just make some noise as you hike and have that can of bear spray handy.
10. Hidden Lake
Distance: 2.8 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation Gain: 460 ft
Time Required: 1 hour
About this Glacier National Park Hike
The view of Clements Mountain from this trail is beautiful. I feel like a broken record saying everything is beautiful, but once you’re in Glacier, you’ll see what I mean. This trail is perhaps one of those picturesque parts of the park. It’s often what you see photos of on maps, brochures, or postcards, which is why it earned its place on the list of the best hikes in Glacier National Park.
Depending on the time of year you’re visiting, part of the trail may be closed. The trail to the Hidden Lake overlook is always open, but whether you’re able to hike down to the lake will depend on bear season. Around August, the park closes that portion of the trail due to all the huckleberries in the area that draw in bears. That part of the trail usually opens back up in October.
Parking is found in the Logan Pass Visitor Center and fills up quickly, so get there early.
9. Gunsight Lake
Distance: Moderate
Difficulty: 12.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,724
Time Required: 5.5 hours
About this Glacier National Park Hike
I consider this to be one of the most underrated and best hikes in Glacier National Park. After a few miles of descent from the Jackson Glacier Overlook, it flattens out in the valley below where you’ll be surrounded by views for the remaining 4 miles or so.
The lake itself has that beautiful turquoise glacial watercolor with a view of snowy peaks behind it. This trail passes through the St. Mary’s River as well as Reynolds creek, so the ground can be a bit soggy in places. Do not. I repeat, do not forget your bug spray for this hike. They thrive in the area’s moisture.
8. Bowman Lake
Distance: 26.2 miles
Difficulty: Hard
Elevation Gain: 3,090 ft
Time Required: 10.5 hours or commonly backpacked over a few days.
About this Glacier National Park Hike
The journey to this trailhead is not for the faint of heart. The road is full of potholes and I wouldn’t recommend traversing it during bad weather or in a car that’s not four-wheel drive. Having said that though, the hike is well worth it.
The Bowman Lake trail is one of the best hikes in Glacier National Park simply because it’s far less crowded. The hiking is more intense in this region, which deters crowds. While you could complete this trail in a day, I found it more enjoyable to stretch it out and backpack along the way. If 26.2 miles isn’t your thing, but you’d still like to see the lake, you can hike out about 3 miles to take a peek and then turn back around.
7. Grinnell Glacier
Distance: 11.2 or 7.6 miles*
Difficulty: Hard
Elevation Gain: 2,100 ft
Time Required: 4 – 5.5 hours
*taking the boat saves 3.5 miles round trip
About this Glacier National Park Hike
You can start the hike one of two ways. Option 1 – start at the official trailhead next to the Many Glacier Ranger Station. Option 2 – you can take the boat on Swiftcurrent Lake to Lake Josephine followed by a second boat that drops you off on the far side of that lake.
All the details for the boat rentals you can find here. Taking the boat saves 3.5 miles round trip off the hike. Once on the far side of the lake the elevation begins up to Grinnell Lake where the best scenery begins to come into view. Waterfalls, wildflower meadows, turquoise waters, couple with switchbacks, and if you’re unlucky some unbelievably savage mosquitoes.
Finally you’ll reach the Grinnell Glacier viewpoint with incredible views of what’s left of this once mighty and now greatly reduced ice flow. The view of the glacier, combined with the turquoise water and the landscape from up above is fantastic, which is why it was included as one of the best hikes in Glacier National Park.
6. Highline Trail
Distance: 11.8 miles (as a one way hike to the shuttle pickup)
Difficulty: Hard
Elevation Gain: 2,000 feet
Time Required: 7 hours
About this Glacier National Park Hike
Typically this is a one-way hike. You start off at the Logan Pass Visitor Center and eventually make your way to The Loop where you’ll catch a free shuttle back to the Visitor Center. Having said that though, many people turn back around at a certain point and hike back to their car rather than taking the shuttle.
This hike is not for those with a fear of heights. It’s a pretty steep incline for the majority of the way with drop-offs along the way. There are some safety cables and chains throughout to hold onto in the spookier parts of the trail.
It’s one of the best hikes in Glacier National Park because of the view that the higher elevation provides. This trail has grown in popularity recently and can be crowded. I recommend starting off at the visitor center no later than 7:30 for parking and also to maximize your daylight.
5. Iceberg Lake
Distance: 9.3 miles
Difficulty: Hard
Elevation Gain: 1,200 ft
Time Required: 5 hours
About this Glacier National Park Hike
The steep incline of this hike is made well worth it by the opportunity to jump in a glacial lake at the end. Be forewarned, the turquoise water is so cold that icebergs float in it year-round. The view of the glacier combined with the vibrant water, icebergs, and craggy rock background is an incredible sight. It’s one of the best hikes in Glacier National Park for scenic views, hands down.
This trail begins at the Iceberg Ptarmigan Trailhead and shares the first 2.7 miles with the Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail. This area is also very active bear country with regular grizzly sightings.
4. Pitamakan Pass and Dawson Pass
- Distance: Hard
- Difficulty: 17.2
- Elevation Gain: 3,641 ft
- Time Required: 9.5 hours
About this Glacier National Park Hike
Depending on the time of year, this trail can be pretty snow-packed and require crampons and trekking poles. If the snow is too deep, Rangers will close access. I would recommend this as more of a mid-summer to early fall hike due to the conditions.
However, if the hike is available, it’s the best hike in Glacier National Park purely for the view of Lake McDonald at Old Man’s Campground. If you’d like to camp there, you’ll need to secure a permit. Once you head back out on the trail, the incline on Dawson Pass is pretty steep and the wind increases as you get higher. Definitely pack a windbreaker.
3. Ptarmigan Tunnel
- Distance: Hard
- Difficulty: 10.6 miles
- Elevation Gain: 2,300 feet
- Time Required: 6 hours
About this Glacier National Park Hike
This tunnel was created in the 1930s as a way to create access from the Many Glacier Valley to the Belly River Valley. It’s one of the best hikes in Glacier National Park purely just to see the impressive construction of the tunnel, which is 250 feet long.
Due to the weather, the tunnel is only accessible for a few months out of the year. So if you’d like to walk through it, it’s typically open from July through September.
2. Siyeh Pass Trail
- Distance: 4.6 miles
- Difficulty: Hard
- Elevation Gain: 2,240
- Time Required: 5 hours
About this Glacier National Park Hike
There are two trailheads that ultimately lead to the Siyeh Pass Trail. The first one starts at Piegan Pass and the other from the Sunrift Gorge Trail. Really the main difference between the two is that the Piegan Pass route is a bit shorter with less climbing. Regardless of your choice, both routes are very steep and challenging to get to the pass.
Once you’ve reached the pass, you’ll head up to the saddle of Mount Siyeh. Once at the top, it’s one of best hikes in Glacier National Park for the view you’ll see from way up there.
While you can head back the way you came, you also have the option to descend on another path to the Sunrift Gorge. A free shuttle is located at the end to take you back to your car.
1. Swiftcurrent Pass
- Distance: 13.6 miles
- Difficulty: Hard
- Elevation Gain: 2,300 ft
- Time Required: 8 hours
About this Glacier National Park Hike
This trail starts off at the appropriately named Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and takes you up into the Swiftcurrent valley. This is one of the best hikes in Glacier National Parks for side destinations along the way. Sure they add on some mileage, but why not make a backpacking trip out of it and take a few days.
One of the greatest side trails is the Swiftcurrent Fire Lookout which is the highest trail that’s maintained in the park. As for the actual trail, the last 6 or so miles are very steep and challenging to the top. Most people stop once they reach the pass instead of going the final stretch since the view isn’t all that different at the top. This hike is for seasoned hikers who are in very good shape.
Map of Best Glacier National Park Hikes
Visiting Glacier National Park
Closest Airport to Glacier: Kallispel, MT (MSO) – 2 hours 40 minutes (140 miles)
I recommend flying into Glacier Park International Airport (FCA), renting a car, and making the roughly 30 minute drive up to the West Glacier Entrance. If there aren’t any affordable flights into Missoula you can try Spokane, Helena, & Bozeman.
If you plan on road tripping out and are still looking for some inspiration/ideas be sure to check out our Best National Park Road Trips article!
Summary & List of Glacier National Park Hikes
- Swiftcurrent Pass
- Siyeh Pass
- Ptarmigan Tunnel
- Pitamakan Pass
- Iceberg Lake
- Highline Trail
- Grinnell Glacier
- Bowman Lake
- Gunsight Lake
- Hidden Lake
- Cracker Lake
- Trail of Cedars
- St Mary & Virgina Falls
- Redrock Falls
- Baring Falls
Check out the Flathead National Forest too!
Interested in seeing Glacier without the crowds? Located RIGHT NEXT to Glacier National Park is the equally stunning Flathead National Forest which sees a tiny fraction of the visitation.
Situated in the northwestern corner of Montana, the Flathead National Forest comprises 2.4 million acres of dramatic mountain beauty. In the wild heart of the Flathead lies over 1 million acres of pristine wilderness.
Lynx, grizzly bears, timber wolves, and a vast and diverse array of other wildlife call the Flathead home. With over 1 million acres of wilderness, 2,600 miles of hiking trails, 250 species of wildlife and 22 species of fish, the Flathead National Forest truly has something for everyone.
We encourage you to visit this beautiful landscape and experience this truly unique part of America.
Pin the Best Hikes in Glacier National Park
Tips for Hiking in Glacier National Park (or any national park)
Permit Systems and Reservations
Check to see if the national park you’re visiting has a permit or reservation system in place before visiting. As parks become increasingly crowded, more has to be done to safeguard them, which means controlling the hundreds of millions of people who visit these places each year. New reservations at Glacier National Park in 2024 warrant reviewing and planning ahead for summer months at Many Glacier, Going-to-the-Sun Road (West), and North Fork.
Want Less Crowds? Try a National Forest!
Try visiting a national forest while you’re on your trip to avoid the crowds. There are 155 national forests in America, many of which are equally as beautiful as the national parks they neighbor and only see a fraction of the visitors.
For example, try the Flathead National Forest next to Glacier National Park, the Bridger-Teton next to Grand Teton, and the Dixie which borders nearly all of the Utah National Parks.
Practice Safety, Seriously
National parks are amazing but wild places so it is essential to practice basic safety while visiting them. Every year people die while vacationing in national parks. This is easily avoided by:
- Sticking to trails
- Checking the weather before going out on a hike
- Maintaining a safe distance between wildlife which means at least 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 yards from predators
- Avoid ledges with steep drop offs
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Glacier National Park Facts: 10 Fascinating Facts About Glacier National Park
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