Glacier is requiring tickets to access the Going-to-the-Sun Road for summer 2022. Click here for more info and to reserve in advance.
Best time to visit: Late Summer
Recommended Hikes: Avalanche Lake, Grinnell Glacier, Two Medicine Lake, Hidden Lake, Highline Trail
Ideal For: Hiking, Wild-life Viewing, Backpacking, Camping, Auto-Touring
Where to stay: On the east side of the park (St. Mary, East Glacier, or Many Glacier)
Useful Info:
Dogs - the general rule for dogs in national parks is that they must be leashed and are only allowed on paved areas, which includes parking areas, roads, and front country campgrounds. Dogs are not allowed on park trails, even when leashed.
Glacier NP is frustratingly seasonal. Snow lasts well into summer and comes early in fall, with prime visiting season during summer.
Beware of fire season - Late summer is great for open roads and trails, but forest fires can render mountain peaks obscured behind smoke.
It's best to get lodging on the east side of the park to significantly reduce daily drive times. There’s a lot more to see on the eastern side of the park than the west side.
Glacier is home to both black bears and grizzly bears - proper food storage is required at all times, and extra caution needs to be used whenever hiking in grizzly territory. Read more about bear safety here.
There are boat tours on numerous lakes throughout the park - click here to read more about them and to book online.
Drinking water is available at most developed areas of the park, including visitor centers and campgrounds.
There is shuttle service that runs the length of the Going-to-the-Sun road during late summer only - using the shuttle is a good way to avoid the hassle of parking, but it can be slow and crowded. There is no charge to use the shuttles - it is included with the park entrance fee.
Glacier also has two private tour companies that run bus tours on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. These are not free, but offer a more in-depth experience than the crowded shuttle system. Read more about the bus tours here.
Glacier is "the" favorite national park for a lot of outdoor enthusiasts. It is massive and has a lot to offer, with great wildlife-viewing, outstanding hiking, waterfalls, lakes, and mind-blowing mountainscapes. It is a highly seasonal park - almost everything is closed for most of the year, except for summer. Late summer is best for snow-free hiking routes and roads. Early summer offers its own advantages, including smaller crowds and stronger flowing waterfalls.
Must See Attractions:
Going-to-the-Sun Road - The park's most famous attraction. The road is closed for most of the year, but opens in summer when the snow clears. There are viewpoints where you can pull over, but most of the road is narrow and windy with steep dropoffs to valley's below. The road reaches it's highest point at Logan Pass which is where the hikes to Hidden Lake and the Highline Trail begin. There is a small visitor center at Logan Pass, but parking fills up early every day.
Avalanche Lake - This is the big attraction on the park's west side and it can be accessed when the Going-to-the-Sun Road is still closed. Avalanche Lake is a green gem surrounded by granite cliffs, with multiple waterfalls flowing down into it. Click here for more information on this hike.
Many Glacier - This is a compact district on the East side of the park, with a single, out and back road. It's famous for two popular day hikes: Grinnell Glacier and Iceberg Lake. The Many Glacier Hotel is a historical landmark right in heart of Many Glacier, and you can take a small ferry across the lakes during summer months. If you are a hiker, you can spend at least two full days in Many Glacier. Auto-tourers can see it in one day.
Two Medicine - Similar to Many Glacier, but without the hotel. Popular hikes here include No Name Lake, Cobalt Lake and Dawson Pass. Running Eagle Falls is worth stopping at as well. Ferries run across Two Medicine Lake during summer which can cut a few miles off the above hikes - read more about them in the hiking section below.
Waterton Lakes National Park - If you bring your passport, you can visit Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. It's a much more developed atmosphere up here - the heart of the park is a full-fledged town with restaurants, shops, and quaint hotels right on the banks of lakes, surrounded by steep mountain faces. Click here for more information on Waterton Lakes.
Where to Stay:
East side of the park (St Mary, Many Glacier, or East Park Village areas. You will spend much less time driving each day to see everything.
If you are planning to visit in summer, book your lodging as early as possible. Campgrounds go on sale 6 months in advance and can sell out fast at recreation.gov. There are also hotels and cabins available.
The districts are as follows:
Many Glacier - Home to the historic Many Glacier Hotel and also a developed campground. Click here to book a room at the Many Glacier Hotel, and here for the campground. Book as early as possible.
St Mary - This is the best location to stay as it’s the most central to all the park’s attractions. There are a few options for hotels and also a campground which can be reserved online here. St Mary is also the access point to the Going-to-the-Sun Road's east end.
East Glacier - Another small town on the east side of the park. East Glacier is right next to the Two Medicine district and offers similar accommodations as St. Mary. It's another good option for lodging on the east side of the park, but I would recommend St Mary over East Glacier if possible.
West Glacier - West Glacier has the park's largest campground called "Fish Creek" which can be reserved online here. It fills up slower than the east-side campgrounds but still fills up in advance. West Glacier has a few options for hotels and restaurants, but the drive times to the east side of the park from here are long. Stay on the east side of the park if you can!
Hiking in Glacier:
Hidden Lake - Hidden Lake is a sight to behold and one of the most popular spots in the park. It can be enjoyed from high above with a moderate hike, or on its shores with a more strenuous hike. The trailhead leaves from the Logan Pass Visitor Center and is entirely above the treeline, making it safe for seeing, but not surprising wildlife. Mountain goats love to hang out in this area. The hike is closed whenever the Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed. Read more about it here.
Highline Trail - Another awesome hike that leaves from the Logan Pass Visitor Center. The hike starts off with a stomach wrenching stretch along a cliff above the Going-to-the-Sun Road. It continues for miles along the continental divide, providing stunning views out towards the west the entire time. You can make this hike as short or as long as you like. Read more about the Highline Trail here.
Avalanche Lake - The best day-hiking option on the park’s west side with a really cool endpoint at Avalanche Lake. This hike is popular so you can expect others to be on the trail. The lake and waterfalls flowing into it are awesome, but most of the hike is below the treeline. Read more about the hike here.
Grinnell Glacier - Located in the Many Glacier district, Grinnell Glacier is a great chance to see turquoise lakes. Hikers can get all the way up to the glacier which feeds the lakes below. The hike can be shortened by using the ferries when they are running in the summer. This is a good place to see Bighorn Sheep. The hike begins in thick forest but opens up once you reach the first major lake. Read more about the hike here.
Two Medicine - There are a lot of hiking options here - in late summer you can take a ferry across the lake to get closer to out-and-back hiking destinations like Dawson Pass, No Name Lake, Upper Two Medicine Lake, and Cobalt Lake. Crowds are a little thinner here than in Many Glacier.
I haven't personally hiked to Dawson Pass or Iceberg Lake, so be sure to research those as I have heard they are great. There are many more hiking routes that go deep into the Glacier backcountry, but they require overnight backpacking.