We have been living in Montana since late April and we have been loving every minute! This state is so beautiful and full of all kinds of outdoor activities. Glacier National Park is one of the biggest attractions here in Montana for most travelers and we have been fortunate enough to get to visit this park several times while we have been here. Our first visit to the park was before the Going-to-the-Sun road was open in early June. In case you didn’t know the iconic Going-to-the-Sun road does not usually open till late June depending on how much snow fall the park had that year and it usually closes in the fall after the first big snow. So since we live close to the west side of the park and the park road was closed after Avalanche Campground we spent two days on the west side of the park. Our first day getting there we hiked the McDonald Creek Trail which at this time of year the rivers and creeks are so gorgeous from all the snow melt.
This trail is a very flat 5 mile trail that runs along the creek giving you some beautiful views of waterfalls. That afternoon we headed to our camping spot which was actually in the national forest because unless you book early when campsites open to book you will not find a campsite in the park because most sites are already booked in advance. We camped at Big Creek Campground which was right along the North Fork Flathead River. Being by the river is Matt’s favorite thing so of course he did some fly fishing that evening.
The next day we got up early to get a parking spot near our trail head. We hiked up to Avalanche Lake. Along the trail was Avalanche creek which has an amazing gorge. This hike is about 6 miles round trip and has some elevation gain but not too bad.
Along the west side of the park you also have Lake McDonald which is known for its colorful rocks! You can kayak or paddle board on this lake if you like but it is also a great spot for a lunch date!
In mid July we visited the park again but this time we spent our time on the east side of the park in Many Glacier. Many Glacier is probably my most favorite area of Glacier National Park. The hikes here are challenging but so worth the views! We stayed at Johnson’s of St. Mary Campground which is about 40 minutes from all the trails in Many Glacier. This campground offers bathrooms and showers. They also have both RV and tent sites available and we found that they mostly have availability all summer. Our first hike in Many Glacier was to Cracker Lake which is about 12 miles round trip.
The beginning of this trail was kind of eerie with lots of trees and heavy brush. We saw a bear print, but never saw a bear on this trail although there have been sightings of bears in the Many Glacier area so always be prepared with bear spray while in the park. The color of Cracker Lake is so blue from the glacier melt it’s almost unreal! We enjoyed this hike and all of its breathtaking views!
The next day we hiked up to Grinnell Glacier another amazing hike with views the whole way up. This trail is a little more difficult with the elevation gain, but it was worth every step of the way!
Total mileage of Grinnell Glacier trail is about 10 miles overall. We did see a baby grizzly on this trail but luckily no mama but I’m sure she was close by! Even though this trail is heavily trafficked with people it is also heavily trafficked with bears. Sometimes they close trails due to the activity of the grizzlies so always check the status of trails before driving all the way there.
When my Mom and Aunt came to visit in late July we visited the park several times with them as well! We hiked to Hidden Lake Overlook which was about 3 miles total. You can hike down to the lake if you are up for it which is about 2 more extra miles.
We saw Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goats along this hike! We drove Going-to-the-Sun road and stopped in all the pullouts to soak up all the beautiful views of the mountains!
We also hiked Trail of the Cedars. This trail is near the Avalanche Lake trail head if you want to include it in that hike. It’s a short, peaceful hike all along a wooded boardwalk. Lastly, I took them up to Polebridge which is a cute little town with a restaurant and store out in the middle of no where right outside the West Northern entrance of the park. This area is very remote but there is a gorgeous lake called Bowman Lake up this very skinny one lane gravel road. It’s so worth the drive. We spent an afternoon up here just relaxing by the lake. You are able to take your own kayaks or paddle boards to this lake but you can also rent watercraft. Just an FYI you have to have all watercraft checked at the Apgar Village which is over an hour away in the West entrance of the park near Lake McDonald if you plan to take your own watercraft to Bowman Lake.
Our most recent trip to the park was a few weeks ago in late August. We were invited to join some friends at the Granite Park Chalet! This Chalet is only accessible by hiking to it and you have to reserve your tickets in advance to stay there. We hiked in starting at Logan’s Pass on the Highline Trail which was about 8 miles one way. This trail is so pretty and has so much scenery it’s hard to soak it all in at once.
We saw a whole family of Mountain goats while on this trail. Right before getting to the Chalet we hiked up to Grinnell Overlook. As you read earlier we hiked to Grinnell Glacier now you will see Grinnell Glacier from above which is by far one of the best views of the park! This hike is short but very hard in just less than a mile you gain 1000 feet of elevation.
After getting down the trail, we continued our hike to the Chalet. When you arrive you check in with the front desk and they give you a tour and show you your room. There are two double bunk beds in each room. You can pay for the chalet to provide linens and meals for you, but this is all optional. Matt and I rented the linens but packed in our own food for dinner and breakfast. Every evening they have a coffee hour and the college kids that live at the chalet tell you a little about themselves and some factual information about the park. There are restrooms at the chalet and potable water that you can use for cooking and for refilling your water canisters.
This was a really awesome experience and we recommend it for anyone who is willing to hike to the Chalet! The next morning we got up and headed out on the Swiftcurrent Pass Trail. We took a little detour along the way and hiked up to the Swiftcurrent Lookout Tower.
This is the highest point accessible via trail in Glacier National Park. It’s about a 1.2 mile hike to the tower with over 1000 feet elevation gain. This was another steep climb with over 30 switchbacks, but so worth it once you reached the top.
Also be prepared for the temperature to drop a lot once you’re at the top with lots of wind we were a little unprepared for that! After getting lots of pictures, we headed down to get back on the Swiftcurrent Pass trail and we were about 8 miles from the Many Glacier parking lot where we left our vehicle. Once crossing over the pass it was all downhill from there.
Along the way down we saw three moose all in different areas! This overnight hike and stay at the Granite Park Chalet was our favorite of all our trips to Glacier!
There are tons of other hikes and sites to see in Glacier National Park and we know we have only scrapped the surface of this beautiful area. There are only 26 glaciers left in the park, so if you ever get the opportunity to see this national park we highly recommend this one!
