Best Hikes in Glacier National Park

December 7, 2021

I’ve probably said this in every post I write about Glacier National Park, but it quickly became one of my favorite national parks to visit. I think this is partly because of the hike we did: the Highline Trail. As beginner hikers, this hike was no joke. There were parts of it where I didn’t think I’d be able to keep going.

With Austin’s encouragement, we made it through and at the end, we felt amazing! It was such an accomplishment for us.

That said, there are a ton of hikes in Glacier to try. Here are (in my opinion) the best hikes in Glacier National Park:

Table of Contents

Highline Trail (and Loop trail)

Length: 7.6mi each way (or 11.6mi total by continuing on the Loop Trail)

Elevation Gain: 800ft

Area: Logan Pass (Many Glacier)

I’m not exaggerating in the slightest when I say the Highline Trail changed my life. Austin and I both knew we were doing this trail, so we tried our best to prepare for it by hiking most weekends leading up to it. However, we had never done a hike as long or as strenuous as this one (we are definitely beginners!).

The morning that we were supposed to hike this trail, it was downpouring and about 40 degrees! We waited in the car for a while to see if the rain would let up and it never did. Unfortunately, we couldn’t just do the hike a different day because we were staying overnight at the Granite Park Chalet at the end of the trail that night!

So, we put on our warmest clothes, ponchos, and backpacks and hit the trial in the rain. In hindsight, I actually enjoyed having the fog that came with the cold weather and rain because it blocked a lot of the views when the dropoff was steep. As someone afraid of heights, that was very much appreciated!

I say this hike changed my life because there were parts of it where I genuinely didn’t think I could keep going. Remember, I’m a beginner and I don’t love heights – you’ll probably be fine. However, with a little encouragement from Austin and the knowledge that if we turned around, we wouldn’t have a place to stay that night, I was able to push through and make it to the end.

I showed myself that my body is capable of more than my mind thinks it is.

I learned to trust my body and specifically trust that my feet will go where I put them and stay there. Such a simple concept, but my anxiety kept telling me I’d slip with every step.

I also learned to lean on Austin when it got too hard to handle myself. God bless him.

So, yes, this is one of the best hikes in Glacier National Park for anyone and everyone. It can be done in a day there-and-back. You can also hike the highline trail up to Granite Park Chalet and then take the Loop trail down. There’s a shuttle bus that will take you from the Loop trailhead back to your car at Logan Pass (Highline Trailhead).

Avalanche Lake Trail

Length: 2.3 miles each way

Elevation gain: 500ft

Area: Near Lake McDonald

If you’ve seen photos of people in Glacier National Park, you’ve probably seen a picture of Avalanche Lake without even knowing it. This trail is relatively short compared to others in the park, so it’s a lot more family-friendly. You’ll start by walking through the Trail of the Cedars which is a wood walking path, and then continue onto Avalanche Lake Trail.

When you get to the end of the hike, you’re rewarded with an amazing view of Avalanche Lake surrounded by mountains. You might even be lucky enough to see an avalanche!

Trail of the cedars before avalanche trail

Grinnel Lake/Grinnell Glacier Viewpoint

Length: 3.4mi/5.3mi each way

Elevation gain: 60ft/1,600ft

Area: Many Glacier

There are a few different ways to get to Grinnell Glacier Viewpoint. You can hike the entire trail by starting at Grinnell Glacier Trailhead or Many Glacier Hotel. This is 5.3 miles each way with an elevation gain of 1,600ft. You can also hike to Grinnell Lake from the same starting point which is 3.4 miles with an elevation gain of 60ft (a lot easier!).

The other option is to use the consession boat from Many Glacier Hotel. This cuts the Grinnell Glacier Viewpoint trail down to 3.6 miles and the Grinnell Lake trail down to 1.1 miles. If you choose to use the boat, it is strongly recommended to make reservations with Many Glacier Hotel beforehand.

Swiftcurrent Pass

Length: 6.8mi each way

Elevation gain: 2,300ft

Area: Many Glacier

The Swiftcurrent Pass hike has just about everything you could want when visiting Glacier National Park: outstanding views of mountains, valleys, and glaciers, a high chance of seeing wildlife, and you’re walking past a few very scenic lakes and waterfalls.

This hike is 14.2 miles there and back which means this is more of a day hike. You can definitely spend all day out here by stopping to have lunch by any of the lakes you’ll pass along the way. The highlight (in my opinion) is the view of Swiftcurrent Glacier you get on the trail.

Bowman lake

Length: 7.1mi each way

Elevation gain: rolling hills

Area: North Fork

The Bowman Lake hike is a common option for overnight camping or backpacking. It’s not very strenuous. At the end, you’re greeted with the view of Bowman Lake surrounded by mountains. There is also a campground at this locations which makes it easy to pitch a tent and stay the night!

Rainbow Falls

Length: 1mi each way

Elevation gain: 30ft

Area: Goat Haunt

I wanted to add an easier hike to this list as well. The hike to Rainbow Falls is a short 1mi hike with only 30ft of elevation gain, making it one of the easiest hikes in all of Glacier National Park.

You’ll start at the Goat Haunt Ranger Station and end at Rainbow Falls. Even though this hike is an easier one, it’s beautiful! There are lots of wildflowers along the trail in the summer and who doesn’t love a waterfall?!