NorahGlacier National Park is easily one of my favorite places in the world. The epic mountains jut straight out of the praire and provide and provide a spectacular destination for hiking, biking, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors. I spent ten days in the park last summer, and here are five hikes I highly recommend!
Note: I also have an in-depth Glacier hiking guide as well!
The Highline Trail. This fantastic trail is my favorite (so far!) in North America, and is easily one of the most stunning hikes in the world. By no means easy, this hike offers a variety of fun challenges and is epic in the fact that it does not have to be completed as an out and back if the shuttle system is properly utilized.
What I recommend: Take the shuttle bus up to the Logan Pass visitor center. Once there, you can start the Highline Trail. The trail parallels the Going to the Sun Road for several miles, and because you start the hike at the top of the mountain, you are met with immediate and fantastic views. The trail is never specifically steep, and the real kicker on this hike will be the length. At about seven miles into the hike you will come across a spur trail that leads up to a fantastic viewpoint of Grinnell Glacier. I recommend taking the spur trail, but choose your battles. The “end” of the trail is the Granite Park chalet, which provides light refreshments and a chance to take in the spectacular views. Apparently there is also the chance to stay at the mountain hut, but reservations book up very quickly. Once leaving the hut, you will continue downhill to the loop shuttle stop, and be transported back to your lodging.
Key tip: During most of this hike, you are navigating along decently steep terrain. This terrain is also very exposed, so be sure to bring necessary gear to keep you safe. While we were hiking there was one small rainstorm, but it blew over quickly and the rest of the hike was sunny.
Grinnel Glacier. This is possibly one of the most famous hikes in the park, and for good reason. Located in the famous Many Glacier region of the park, this hike offers some serious elevation changes and an epic change to get up close and personal with a glacier. The hike begins at the trailhead and allows a steady ascent up for about five miles. About four miles into the trail you will break through the treeline, and be exposed for the rest of the hike. The views are insane, and as you navigate closer to the top you will be met with many a false summit. Keep going, and after one final half mile push, you will make it to the summit! The end of this hike is a glacial lake that allows for plenty of room to spread out, have a picnic, and take in the views. For me, the coolest part of this hike was the fact that the glacier lake felt very tucked away and small while we were hiking to it, but opened up and ended up being a massive, expansive area.
Key tips: Bring binoculars! We saw both bighorn sheep and mountain goats on this hike. The sheep came very close to us, while the goats were on the side of the opposite mountain. I had so much fun watching the goats navigate the rocky terrain and move with such grace.
Bring a swimsuit! There were a lot of people (way more than I thought) jumping into the water at the top of the mountain. Be warned-the water is COLD, but I imagine jumping in is probably at the top of some bucket lists.
The parking lot fills up by 8am. We aimed to get to the trail right at sunrise (around 7am) and had no issues finding a spot. I am not proud to admit this, but frequently throughout this trip my dad and I would drive to the trailhead, claim a spot, then spend about 30 minutes napping in the car, then begin our hike. This strategy worked for us, but do whatever works best for you and your group to secure a spot.
Upper Two Medicine Loop. The Two Medicine region of Glacier is less popular than the Going to the Sun Road or Many Glacier, and that fact perhaps makes it even more of a critical component of your Glacier trip. The Upper Two Medicine Loop circles around one of the more famous lakes in the region, and can be designed to be completed as a loop trail. We found this trail to be significantly less crowded than some of the other Glacier hikes, and the end viewpoint of the hike only had about four or five other people there. This is the trail to do if you want to get a true hiking experience and immerse yourself in Glacier scenery without the traffic.
Key tip: This is an active grizzly bear zone, and parts of the trail have thick underbrush. Please bring bear spray and know how to use it. We did not see any bears on the trail, but of course that does not mean bears are not there.
Avalanche Lake Trail: This is a very popular, straightforward trail that leads to a beautiful lake. Sitting at about four miles, I would recommend combining this trail with the Trail of the Cedars, which has a beautiful boardwalk and a fascinating history. The Avalanche Lake Trail is completely flat, and has ample parking. It is also right by a shuttle stop, so the trail really is very accessible for hikers.
Key tip: If you have them, hiking sandals are great for this trip. There are several river crossings, and the lake at the end of the hike is also a great spot to cool down with a quick dip.
Hidden Lake Trail: Despite an unsuccessful outcome, I truly did enjoy this short but steep hike and the adventure it offers. The Hidden Lake trail leaves from the Logans Pass visitor center, making it extremely accessibly and easy to find. The trail follows a boardwalk straight up for about a mile to an eventual view of the beautiful Hidden Lake. Up until recently, hikers could then continue on to reach the actual Hidden Lake, but that addition of the trail was recently closed due to bear activity. Here is the cool part: from the Hidden Lake overlook, there is an excellent view of the lake, and this spot is one of the best in the park to safely view grizzly bears as they fish at the lake. Bring binoculars and keep an eye on the shoreline, and you might get lucky! We unfortunately did not, but we did see both mountain goats and bighorn sheep.
Key Tip: The hike is crowded, and the boardwalk exists because the alpine environment is very fragile and taking even one step on the exposed soil could potentially really hurt the ecostystem there. Please pay extra close attention and do not step off the trail, as I would love to bring my kids to this hike one day and that will only happen if we protect it.
There are, of course, literally hundreds of other hikes in Glacier that are also spectacular. I have found that the popular hikes are popular for a reason, and the less popular hikes are stunning in their own ways. I hope that your Glacier adventure is everything you want it to be!
