OVERVIEW

Glacier National Park is a hiker’s paradise located in the remote northern reaches of Montana. In the park you’ll find an endless supply of trails leading to glaciers, alpine lakes, rugged mountains, and verdant valleys. But arguably the highlight of any trip to Glacier National Park just might be the hike to Grinnell Glacier.

We spent 7 days in Glacier National Park hiking its amazing and varied trails. From cascading waterfalls to rugged mountain peaks, there’s a trail for everyone. But we all agreed that the day hike to Grinnell Glacier was our favorite activity during our time in the park.

Grinnell Glacier Trail will have you strolling along the pristine waters of Lake Josephine, climbing through colorful meadows, tiptoeing across waterfalls, and eventually bring you to a majestic glacier feeding into the turquoise lagoon at your feet.

The hike itself is moderately strenuous as you’ll climb almost 2,000 feet along the slopes of Mount Grinnell through rocky and uneven terrain. But having spectacular views of the alpine landscape and frequent wildlife encounters will surely keep you motivated to keep going.

Grinnell Glacier Trail is the hallmark trail of Glacier National Park and this detailed guide will provide tips and tricks on the best way to approach the hike. Hopefully you too will have a memorable experience on this iconic adventure.

STATISTICS

Distance: 10.3 miles out-and-back

Elevation Gain: 1,600 feet.

Difficulty: Moderate – Strenuous.

Duration: 5-7 hours.

Where: The trailhead is located at a parking lot right off Many Glacier Road between Many Glacier Lodge and Many Glacier Campground. The parking lot is small and this is a VERY popular trail, so you’ll need to arrive here well before 8 AM if you want to find parking.

WHAT TO PACK

The hike to Grinnell Glacier is long and strenuous. After passing Lake Josephine the trail will ascend continuously for miles until reaching the glacier. You’ll want a sturdy set of hiking boots with good ankle support to prevent an injury. Make sure to also bring an ample supply of water, snacks, and a lunch.

Whenever hiking in the mountains you’ll want to prepare for unpredictable and potentially hostile weather. We had fog and light, intermittent rain upon reaching Grinnell Glacier, so make sure to bring a raincoat as a downpour could ruin the experience.

As with any hike it’s important to have protection from the sun and there’s very little shade on the trail to Grinnell Glacier. Sunscreen, long sleeves, and a wide brimmed hat are all critical to avoid getting a serious burn. The day may start quite cold in the early morning hours and quickly warm as the sun rises, so having some clothing layers is probably a good idea.

And of course, bring bear spray and practice the basic principles of bear safety. We saw tons of grizzly and black bears during our time in Glacier National Park. Always be on the lookout for bears, scanning the landscape and shrubs. Stay close together in groups and keep up a conversation to alert them of your presence.

WHERE TO STAY

Glacier National Park is a very large park and it’s important to have a basic understanding of its layout and some of the entry restrictions. Before setting out on this hike please see this guide to Glacier National Park that provides these details.

Glacier National Park is divided into three distinct areas. The trailhead to Grinnell Glacier is located along Many Glacier Road, in the northeastern quadrant of the park.

There are a few options for convenient lodging when hiking the trail. The closest and most convenient accommodation would be Many Glacier Hotel. The popular hotel, built in 1914, is nestled along the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake and provides stunning views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers.

The Many Glacier Campsite is also located at the end of Many Glacier Road, providing quick and easy access to the trail. 

The best area to stay outside of the park is in the town of St. Mary. It’s not a big town, but you’ll find a couple RV parks, motels, and the highly rated Cottages at Glacier. However, the limited lodging will fill up very fast given the popularity of the park, so make reservations early.

We stayed at a rental property in Browning, which is about a 35 minute drive east of St. Mary and the entry to Many Glacier Road. You’ll find a lot more lodging options here, as well as several restaurants and even a grocery store.

GETTING TO THE TRAILHEAD

The trailhead for Grinnell Glacier Trail is found at a parking lot along Many Glacier Road. From the intersection of Highway 89 and Many Glacier Road, it’s a 12 mile or 25 minute drive west on Many Glacier Road before you’ll find the parking lot.

This is an extremely popular trail, so plan to get to the parking lot VERY early, well before 8 AM. We arrived at about 6:30, before the sun was even up and there were already several cars parked.

If the parking lot is full, you’ll need to find parking along the road (where permitted) or at the parking lot of Many Glacier Hotel. This will add on some mileage to an already long trail.

SHUTTLE BOAT OPTION

Hiking from the parking lot along Many Glacier Road to Grinnell Glacier and back is about 10.5 miles. However, there is an option to shave off about 4 total miles of the hike by booking a shuttle boat across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine.

There are typically 7 shuttle trips daily, 3 in the morning and the first one at 8:30 AM. The shuttle leaves from the dock behind Many Glacier Hotel and it takes 8 minutes to cross Swiftcurrent Lake. You’ll disembark and ascend nearly 100 feet over 0.2 miles to the boat dock at Lake Josephine. 

You’ll hop on the second shuttle boat here, the Morning Eagle, which takes 12 minutes to cross Lake Josephine to the far west end. The entire journey takes about 45 minutes. A 0.4 mile trail connects the western dock on Lake Josephine to the main Grinnell Glacier Trail running along the mountainside.

A round trip ticket for adults is about $40 and for children is about $20. One-way tickets are also available. All tickets need to be purchased beforehand, and they often sell out given the popularity of the hike.

The boat ride is quite scenic and relaxing, but it really only shaves off the flat and easy portion of the trail. If you have younger kids it might be a worthwhile investment. A common approach is to hike along the lakes very early in the morning to avoid the large crowds and take the shuttle boats on the return trip.

HIKING TO GRINNELL GLACIER 

Trailhead to Lake Josephine

We arrived at the main trail parking lot well before sunrise. We didn’t have a vehicle reservation for the day so needed to be inside the park boundaries before 6 AM. There were already a few cars in the parking lot. We let the kids finish off their early morning nap and when the sun began to rise we hit the trail.

The trail leads through the dense pine forest and quickly finds the southwestern shoreline of Swiftcurrent Lake. You’ll quickly gain about 100 feet of elevation on the 0.2 mile segment between Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine and then the trail levels out once again.

You then proceed along the northern edge of Lake Josephine. The view across Lake Josephine is pleasant and you might get lucky and see some moose foraging in the shallow waters during the early morning hours.

Near the far western end of Lake Josephine the trail will begin to gradually ascend. You’ll likely see the shuttle boat beginning its journey across the lake. At this point you’ll have hiked a little more than 2 miles.

Lake Josephine to Grinnell Glacier

A trail to your left leads down to the Lake Josephine boat dock, but you’ll continue to the right, now beginning the thigh-crushing ascent up toward Grinnell Glacier. From here it’s a steady 3 mile ascent to Grinnell Glacier. You’ll quickly be rewarded for your effort as the views are some of the best in all of Glacier National Park. 

The emerald waters of Grinnell Lake can be seen to the left, being fed from the thundering Grinnell Falls as it cascades down the mountainside from Grinnell Glacier. Off in the distance are the snow-capped peaks of Mount Gould and Angel Wing. You’ll likely be stopping for pictures constantly as you make your way closer and closer to Grinnell Glacier.

The trail brings you through a few colorful meadows steeped in vibrant wildflowers. A few sections of the trail are quite narrow and run along the cliffside, with steep drops to the valley below. Pay close attention in these areas and watch your footing, and you’ll be just fine.

You’ll come across a wide but gentle waterfall in this area where most hikers get at least a little wet. We took our shoes off and hustled across this section, but everyone seemed to have their own strategy.

The final push up to Grinnell Glacier is the steepest and most demanding. Staircases constructed from the large stones zigzag up the mountainside as the lush meadows are replaced with scree. There’s also a small rest area with benches and a pit toilet in this area.

Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, we saw several bighorn sheep and mountain goats on the trail during our hike. We didn’t see any bears, but evidently this is prime habitat for them so stay on the lookout.

The trail finally flattens out and it’s only a short distance across a rocky moraine until you reach the top of a grassy hill with a priceless view of the turquoise lagoon, and one of the most amazing sights in Glacier National Park. 

Grinnell Glacier and Lagoon

There’s far more to the end of this trail than just Grinnell Glacier itself. You’ll see massive icebergs scattered throughout the aquamarine lagoon. Across the water are innumerable faint waterfalls cascading down the mountainside into the lagoon. It’s an absolutely incredible sight!

Wander throughout the area and explore the shoreline. The flat granite rocks along the water’s edge are a great place to settle down for lunch. On the western end of the water you’ll find the snow and ice of Grinnell Glacier itself. 

Guided hikes across parts of the glacier used to be available, but that’s no longer the case given how much the glacier has receded over the past 100 years. In 1850 the glacier (which was connected to Salamander Glacier at the time) measured 700 acres. Now it’s only 200 acres.

We saw a few kids swimming in the frigid alpine water over to an exposed rock sticking out of the lake. They appeared to regret that decision as they were now rather reluctant to jump back into the freezing water to get back.

We had overcast weather for much of our hike to Grinnell Glacier, so by the time we reached the lagoon we were high up in the mountains and a dense layer of fog was present. Visibility across the lagoon was still adequate, however, and the fog added a bit of mystery and intrigue to the area.

The return trip is a reversal of the trail you have already hiked. It’s far easier than the ascent and can be done fairly quickly. The crowds, however, will be far larger as it’ll now be early afternoon. Fortunately, most sections of the trail are fairly wide, so there shouldn’t be too many bottlenecks.

FINAL IMPRESSIONS

When visiting Glacier National Park you’ll have no shortage of amazing hiking opportunities. From the stunning vistas of Highline Trail to the foraging moose at Bullhead Lake, you’ll have an unbelievable experience regardless of the trail you choose.

But we absolutely loved the hike to Grinnell Glacier and all agreed this was the marquee trail in Glacier National Park. Although long and featuring a fair amount of elevation, it wasn’t unmanageable. At the time Oliver and Maddie were 7 and 5, respectively, and they were able to it, but it was a long day.

The views of Grinnell Lake, Grinnell Falls, and the lush landscape were tremendous. The vivid and varied colors along the trail’s route were like something from a painter’s color wheel. We also saw a ton of wildlife, including marmots, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats.

The climax of course was reaching Grinnell Glacier and the turquoise lagoon. You could stay for hours up here just watching the brilliant blue icebergs, cascading waterfalls, and mysterious clouds float in and out of the area. What an amazing sight!

It’s obvious now why this hike is so popular, and it’s well deserved. With some background information and preparation, you’ll also be able to have a fantastic experience while hiking the iconic Grinnell Glacier Trail.