Eight Extraordinary Days in Montana's Glacier National Park

Often referred to at the Crown of the Continent, Glacier National Park is a world unto itself. Spread over more than one million acres of glacier carved peaks and valleys, the park's pristine turquoise lakes, millennia old glaciers, ancient forests and abundant wildlife attract visitors from all over the world every year. The park's 700 miles of hiking trails provide its travelers with one dramatic view after another. In addition to its large population of Bighorn sheep and mountain goats, Glacier also boasts the largest population of grizzly bears anywhere in the continental US - it's believed that more than 1,000 live inside the park's boundaries. Navigating the park along the Going-to-the-Sun Road is a major highlight of the park and a true modern marvel. Spanning more than 50 miles and crossing the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, it slices through the park providing big views at every turn. This solo trip was done in early August after much of the snow had vanished and the daytime temperatures were pleasant.

Day 1: Many Glacier

Grinnell Glacier Trail

After arriving at Kalispell Airport and snagging my car rental and bear spray from Glacier Outfitters in the baggage claim area, I headed to nearby Columbia Falls to get food and supplies, and then headed to the Many Glacier Campground to set up camp for the next few days. With my plans flexible and the weather cooperating, I decided to head out and hike the Grinnell Glacier Trail, one of the best day hikes in the park.

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It lived up to all of my expectations: relatively easy terrain, stunning views throughout, and wildlife at seemingly every turn. Mountain goats and bears roamed the hillsides, while bears and moose grazed the lower portions of the valley.

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While standing along the shores of Upper Grinnell Lake, I sought out a high spot on the Garden Wall to the right, knowing I'd be standing up there looking down on Grinnell Glacier later in the trip. It's a dizzying view, where people on the overlook look like ants from below. After exploring the area around the glacier and a detour to Angel Wing, I headed back for the evening with about an hour to go before sunset.

Day 2: Many Glacier

Iceberg Lake & Ptarmigan Tunnel

The following morning, I got an early start knowing that the day would be a long one. Iceberg Lake and Ptarmigan Tunnel both share the same trail for the first few miles, so I decided to tackle them both as a long-ish day hike. First up was Iceberg Lake. The hike was absolutely stunning from start to finish. Non-stop views, tons of wildlife, and one of the prettiest lakes that I had ever been to in the West. The hike to the lake was never overly challenging, rather a long, gradual incline to the massive cirque and beautiful lake.

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During the return, I picked up the Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail a few miles before the trailhead and made a day of it. No wildlife sightings, but the views were almost as impressive as those on the way out to Iceberg Lake.

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After nearly 17 miles, I returned to the trailhead, threw on some flip flops, and headed to Many Glacier Hotel's Swiss Lounge for a bite to eat before heading back to the campground for a night under the stars. Looking back, Iceberg Lake was the clear cut winner between the two destinations, but I was really happy to have done both in the same day.

Day 3: Many Glacier

Fishercap Lake

Cracker Lake

Apikuni Falls

Today began with a short stroll over to Fishercap Lake where I watched moose graze from a distance. The shallow lake is notorious for moose sightings in the early mornings and later in the evening, and today was no exception!

After relaxing at Fishercap Lake, I decided to head out to Cracker Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, or so I have read. By then, the clouds had started rolling in, the fog enveloped the area, and the rain made things a bit messy. There wasn't a ton to see along the way, but Cracker Lake more than made up for the so-so scenery and rain.

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After lunch, I set out on a hike to Apikuni Falls. The short trek runs parallel to Apikuni Creek, culminating at a rocky outcrop near the foot of the 100-foot waterfall. Along the way I saw three black bears and had to holster my bear spray once after rounding a corner and seeing one about thirty feet from me. After getting big and yelling, it ran off like most black bears do.

Another incredible day came to a close with Two Sisters Cafe in St Mary and a great night of sleep under the stars.

Day 4: Many Glacier

Swiftcurrent Mountain Lookout

After a relatively easy day, I decided to tackle a long day this day and the Swiftcurrent Mountain Lookout fit the bill. It's a long, fairly strenuous day hike with absolutely incredible views the entire time. Around every bend was a new, jaw-dropping view, with waterfalls, glaciers, beautiful lakes, cliffs, and a summit that gave way to views that words cannot describe. Most hikers go to the pass and turn around, but the really amazing views come from the summit lookout. This is one that I will do time and time again on return trips. Four black bear, two moose, and plenty of marmots on this one.

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Afterward, it was back to the Many Glacier Campground for one more night. Over the years, I've hiked a few hundred miles in the park and this is still one of my absolute favorite day hikes. It's long, sure, but the payoff is massive.

Day 5: Logan Pass

Highline & Grinnell Glacier Overlook

On the agenda for day five was another long-ish day hike – the Highline Trail, with a brief detour up the Garden Wall to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook. Following an early morning drive to Logan Pass, I hopped on the trail, hiking along the Continental Divide amid vast fields of wildflowers. Along the Highline Trail, especially after the first two miles, I encountered around two dozen mountain goats and around a dozen bighorn sheep, which is fairly common. It's considered one of the best day hikes in the country, and after hiking it I could see why. Non-stop views, tons of wildlife, and just enough miles to keep things interesting.

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At roughly 6.5 miles, I arrived at a trail junction with a steep one mile trail leading to the top of the Garden Wall where I found myself staring down at Upper Grinnell Lake, Lower Grinnell Lake, Lake Josephine, Swiftcurrent Lake, Lake Sherbourne. Grinnell Glacier, Salamander Glacier, and Gem Glacier. It's THE view along any hike found along Going-to-the-Sun Road but it's a doozy getting up there.

After about 16 miles, starting from Logan Pass and ending at The Loop Trailhead, I hitchhiked back to Logan Pass and headed to a hotel outside of the park for the night.

Day 6: St Mary & Logan Pass

Baring Falls, St Mary Falls & Virginia Falls

Hidden Lake Overlook

After a day on the Highline Trail, I aimed for a less strenuous day, so I headed out to Sun Point t o hike out to Baring Falls, St Mary Falls, and Virginia Falls, one of the best waterfall hikes in the park. As someone who values mountain views over waterfalls, my expectations were low but I was pleasantly surprised with how beautiful the hike was. More non-stop views, a bit of interesting park history, and a few wildlife encounters made the morning very entertaining.

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As the hike came to an end, I stopped back at Sun Point to relax and soak in the western views for a few hours. After chatting with some folks from Ireland on their honeymoon, I headed back to Logan Pass for a sunset hike out to Hidden Lake Overlook, one of the best sunset and wildlife viewing hikes in the park. It ended up being one of my favorite hikes of the trip, with tons of wildlife and one of the most spectacular sunset views that I've ever had in the park.

Day 7: Lake McDonald

Avalanche Lake

After another great day, I decided to continue to wind things down a bit, hiking out to Avalanche Lake early in the morning. The easy-going hike passes through an ancient forest along the Trail of the Cedars Trail before continuing on to yet another stunning lake surrounded by towering waterfalls. It was a great way to start the day and I was VERY happy that I chose to start early. Parking is always a challenge here later in the morning.

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After the hike, I headed into Apgar Village to grab breakfast, relax along the shore of Lake McDonald, and, unfortunately, open up my laptop and work a little. Afterward, I headed into West Glacier Village for dinner and a few beers, then headed to my hotel for a lazy evening.

Day 8: Flathead River

Lake McDonald

Rafting

The next day, I woke up early to catch sunrise from the shore of Lake McDonald, the largest lake in Glacier National Park. It's one of the best sunrise spots in the park and requires no hiking.

After a gorgeous sunrise, I headed over to Wild River Adventures to raft the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. As someone who hails from the Midwest and has had whitewater rafting the New & Gauley Rivers, some of the best whitewater rafting in the world, many times over, my expectations were again low. However, the trip turned out to be really fun. I wouldn't say any of the rapids were above Class III, but it was a memorable experience and I would definitely do it again. Obviously, I didn't take my phone to take any photos, but the scenery was spectacular.

As the day came to a close, I headed back to my hotel in Columbia Falls, grabbed a much needed shower, enjoyed a great meal, and called it a night. The next morning, I flew out of Kalispell feeling incredibly happy with everything I had experienced during my trip to Glacier National Park. I didn't get to do everything I had hoped—wildlife closures kept me off a few trails, rainy weather changed some plans, and a few car issues threw me a couple of curveballs along the way. Still, I knocked several bucket-list hikes off my list and saw far more wildlife than I ever expected. Glacier is an absolutely incredible park, and quite possibly the most beautiful place I've ever visited. There's still plenty left for me to explore, which gives me a pretty good excuse to come back. And I'll definitely be back for more!