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Short & Easy Hikes in Glacier Park: Our Ten Favorite
We’ve hiked every trail in Glacier National Park, and we feel that Glacier Park provides some of the best day hikes and overnight backpacking adventures in the world.  No matter what type of trail you are looking for, and no matter what level of difficulty, Glacier Park has the perfect trail(s) for you.  For those of you who are interested in gorgeous Glacier Park day hikes that are very easy short, and yet provides hikers with spectacular scenery, then you’ve come to the right place…

We’ve just completed a page that outlines our Top Ten Favorite Short and Easy Hikes in Glacier National Park.  And even though they’re short and they’re easy without much elevation gain, the rewards are huge.  You will enjoy every single one of these hikes!

The  following Short & Easy Glacier Park Hikes are not listed in any particular order…

Trail of the Cedars

Red Rock Falls / Fisher Cap Lake

Grinnell Lake

Sun Point

Swiftcurrent Lake Loop Trail

Trick Falls

St. Mary Falls / Virginia Falls

Hidden Lake Trail

Highline Trail

South Shore Trail, Two Medicine Lake

Again, the great thing about these wonderful Glacier Park Day Hikes is even though they are quite short and do not require a lot of elevation gain, the scenery is fantastic and the hikes are extremely rewarding.

And here’s some more wonderful short and easy Glacier National Park hikes that didn’t make the top ten list but should have….

Avalanche Lake

South Shore Lake Josephine Trail

North Shore Lake Josephine Trail

Baring Falls

Bowman Lake Trail

North Shore Kintla Lake Trail

Johns Lake Loop Trail (coming soon)

So for those of you who are looking for some high quality Glacier National Park Hikes, and yet don’t want to deal with a 25 mile day or a lot of elevation gain, then these trails that we’ve just listed are perfect for you!

To visit this new page detailing our favorite short and easy Glacier Park hikes, click here.

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One of our Favorite Day Hikes in Glacier National Park is the Dawson Pitamakan Trail Loop. This amazing 17 mile Glacier Park hike provides astounding scenery that will absolutely take your breath away. And interestingly, of the 800+ miles of hiking trails in Glacier Park, the Dawson Pitamakan Trail Loop is one of the only true loops in Glacier National Park.

Located in the Two Medicine Area of Glacier Park, the trail head is located at the Two Medicine Campground. We strongly feel that the best way to tackle this hike is to first take the North Shore Trail toward Dawson Pass. This clockwise direction is best because the lighting will be in your favor the entire day, which means far better photos. Also, the North Shore Trail is basically flat for over 3 miles, and then you’ll abruptly climb up to Dawson Pass (2,000 vertical feet in just over 2 miles), and then the rest of the day you’re either enjoying a nearly level hike, or a gradual downhill descent. The other way is uphill for far longer. Our philosophy is to get the uphill stuff over with as soon as possible so the majority of the day is a “piece of cake” This makes for a far more enjoyable hiking experience.

On the Dawson Pass – Pitamakan Pass Trail Loop in Glacier Park, you will cross three passes: Dawson Pass, Cut Bank Pass and Pitamakan Pass. Between Dawson Pass and Cut Bank Pass, the trail is literally on top of the Continental Divide as it works its way northward. The views from this section of the trail is so beautiful it is nearly impossible to describe. The vastness of this country is awe-inspiring as you look thousands of feet below you into the Nyack Creek Area. And the mountains that shoot up from the other side of this deep, wide valley are majestic beyond description. Giants like Mount Phillips and Mount Stimson (one of the tallest peaks in Glacier National Park) dominate the western skyline. This is truly one of the most amazing Glacier Park hikes you’ll ever encounter.

Just before you reach Cut Bank Pass, you’ll reach the highest point of your hike along the Dawson Pitamakan Loop, which is called the Pitamakan Overlook (8,099 feet). This narrow ridge of rock takes you to a vantage point that cannot be put into words, and is one of our favorite spots on this wonderful Glacier Park hiking trail.

Once you reach Cut Bank Pass, which is only about a half a mile from Pitamakan Overlook, the rest of the trail is all downhill. The views from Cut Bank Pass are incredibly impressive, and the view remains equally impressive all the way down to Pitamakan Pass, and then onto to Old Man Lake. Once you refill your water bottles with your water filter/pump and have a quick snack along the shore of this amazing alpine lake, you will then gradually descend down the trail for 5.5 miles until you reach the Two Medicine Campground once again.

For all the details on this amazing hike, check out our page on the Dawson Pass – Pitamakan Pass Loop. This helpful page walks you through every section of the trail, and it also gives you some helpful tips to make this Glacier Park hike even more enjoyable. The Dawson Pitamakan Trail Loop is without question one of the premiere hikes in Glacier National Park, and if you’re in good shape, we highly recommend that you take it, and bring plenty of memory cards for your camera because you’ll need them!

For all the details click this link:
DawsonPass – Pitamakan Pass Trail Loop

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One of the most popular Hikes in Glacier National Park is the hike to Hidden Lake Overlook along the Hidden Lake Trail. The views along this short hike are spectacular the entire way, and it very well may be the most scenic 1.5 miles (one way) you’ll ever experience. Taking this famous day hike is one of Top Things To Do in Glacier Park, and Shannon and I definitely feel it’s a “must do” during your Glacier National Park vacation.

The trail head to the Hidden Lake Trail is located just behind the Visitor Center at Logan Pass along the Going To The Sun Road, and the first half of the trail is mainly a board walk designed to protect the sensitive vegetation found in this area. The distance to the Hidden Lake Overlook is only 1.5 miles and the elevation gain is 460 vertical feet. If you’re in reasonably good physical condition, you should have no problems hiking to the overlook and back. Because it’s such a short Glacier Park hike, you can take your time and rest whenever you need to.

Up through the end of July, the Hidden Lake Trail is usually partially (or completely) covered in snow, which visitors really seem to enjoy. Park rangers carefully mark the trail so you will easily know where to walk. We highly recommend that you wear shoes or hiking boots with good tread on their soles, and do not wear sandals or flip flops. (Yes, we’ve seen a lot that on the trail!)

All along the Hidden Lake Trail you will enjoy breathtaking scenery in all directions, such as the towering matterhorns of Clements Mountain and Reynolds Mountain. And if your timing is good, you may see the entire landscape covered in wild flowers! Once you get to the Hidden Lake Overlook, the view suddenly changes into a breath-taking panorama of the Hidden Lake Area, with Bearhat Mountain dominating the landscape as you gaze down upon Hidden Lake 500 vertical feet below you.

The Hidden Lake Trail continues on to the shore of Hidden Lake, but remember, the 500 vertical feet you lose getting to the lake, you must then hike back up 500 vertical feet to get back to more level ground.

The Hidden Lake Overlook in Glacier National Park is a great place to have lunch, all the while taking in some of the most awe-inspiring landscape found in North America. And in addition to the incredible scenery, you will more than likely see plenty of mountain goats during your Hidden Lake Trail hike, especially right at the overlook.

The bottom line is this:  The hike to the Hidden Lake Overlook is definitely one of those iconic Hikes in Glacier National Park that we highly recommend.  So while you’re vacationing in Glacier Park, make sure you head to Logan Pass and enjoy this famous Glacier Park hike. We can assure you that you and your family will be glad you did.

For more information on the hike to Hidden Lake Overlook in Glacier National Park, please click here: http://www.enjoyyourparks.com/GlacierParkHiddenLakeTrail.html

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We receive many emails from Glacier Park visitors wanting advice on hiking Glacier National Park Trails during the month of June- specifically asking about the amount of snow on these Glacier Park Trails.  Visitors are always hopeful that this would be a great month due to the beauty of spring and because there will likely be less visitors during this time.  Our response to their question is probably not what they want to hear….

JUNE IS USUALLY TOO EARLY!!!
We have found that most of the Trails in Glacier Park are usually still covered in snow, and nearly every trail that involves a mountain pass is usually not passable unless the hiker is extremely experienced in snow and ice hiking and is an expert in self-arrest using a mountain axe.   Crossing snow fields in Glacier National Park can be extremely dangerous and can result in serious injuries or death.

The other problem is route finding.  Since most of the Glacier Park Trails are still covered in snow, finding the actual trail can be extremely difficult, and if you are not very familiar with the particular Glacier Park trail that you are considering, you will more than likely lose the trail.  This can quickly result in an extremely dangerous situation.

WHAT ABOUT LATE JUNE?
Of course every year is different because it depends on just how much snow falls during the winter and early spring, but we have found that usually most of the higher Glacier National Park Trails that involve a mountain pass are still very much covered in snow and we believe are too dangerous for the average hiker to travel on.  A classic example of one of the typical higher elevation Glacier Park Hikes is the Highline Trail.  Two years ago this popular trail did not open until mid August, and last year it was early August before this trail was open- all because of the snow hazards that remained on this extremely popular trail.

WHEN IS IT “OK” TO HIKE MOST GLACIER PARK TRAILS?
That’s a hard question to answer because it all depends on how much snow fell on Glacier National Park during the winter and early spring season.  From our experience, if it’s a typical snow year, by mid July a fair amount of higher elevation trails are open and safe.  But again we want to stress that it all depends on the year.  We strongly recommend that before you get on any of the Glacier National Park Trails during the months of June and July, ask a ranger at one of the many ranger stations or the St. Mary Visitor Center, Logan Pass Visitor Center or Apgar Visitor Center.

SNOW, SNOW AND MORE SNOW
What’s deceiving is there may not be much snow throughout the lower elevations, so it might appear to the unsuspecting visitor that it’s likely most of the Glacier Park Trails are clear and ready to go. They don’t realize what 1,500 feet in elevation can do to the snow levels.  Therefore, your particular Glacier Park trail will be completely snow-free initially, but once this trail begins to gain in vertical elevation, snow begins to become an issue, and quite often the hiker will run into a snow hazard that is simply not safe to pass through.

The bottom line is Glacier National Park receives so much snow each winter and early spring that many of the Glacier Park Trails are still covered in snow all the way through June and into early to mid July.  This is especially true for those Glacier National Park Hikes that involve a mountain pass such as Siyeh Pass Trail, Swiftcurrent Pass Trail, the Highline Trail, etc., or other high elevation trails such as Ptarmigan Tunnel and Grinnell Glacier Trail.

Therefore, if you are an avid hiker and are wanting to enjoy Glacier National Park Trails at their best, you may want to consider planning your vacation no earlier in the season than mid July or later, just to be safe.  If you are interested in the many overnight backpacking Hikes in Glacier National Park, especially in the Northern Wilderness (Boulder Pass Trail, Fifty Mountain, etc.), you may want to consider scheduling your trip during the month of August to play it safe, and even early August may still have several high elevation snow hazards that are still not passable.  Mid August is the safest time to enjoy Glacier Park Multi-Day Hikes.

We hope you find this information to be useful to you.

For details on all the Glacier Park Hikes, click here.

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Glacier Park Hikes: We Feature Them All!
We are proud to announce that EnjoyYourParks.com is now featuring all of the Glacier Park Hikes available to the public, including all Glacier Park Day Hikes and all Glacier Park Multi-Day Hikes. These Glacier Park Hiking Trails cover all 734 miles of maintained Glacier Park Trails, as well as many miles of primitive “climber’s trails”.  So if you’re interested in hiking in Glacier Park, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ve Hiked Them All…. More Than Once.
We’ve hiked every trail in Glacier National Park, most of them more than once, and many of them dozens of times. But the challenge was properly photographing all of these Glacier Park Trails to make our website useful to our viewers.  So even though we have boxes of old, film photos that than we would need to transfer to digital, we decided instead to start all over with a high quality digital camera. We also made sure that the lighting was good and the skies were clear for nearly every trail. If the weather didn’t end up how we wanted, we’d hike the trail again on a better day.

We also tried to be at certain points along the Glacier Park Trails at specific times of day to provide the best possible photos for our Glacier Park Hikes pages. This of course takes a lot of time and patience, and we are thrilled to have reached our goal. Our viewers now have the most comprehensive and useful guide to Glacier Park Hikes found anywhere in the world.

Summits
As we were re-hiking all of these Glacier Park Hikes, we also climbed over a 100 Glacier Park Summits. We did this for three reasons: One reason was for pure enjoyment.  The second reason was to take photographs from these incredible summits.  The third reason was to photograph many of the Glacier Park Hikes from these summits. We have found that photographing the low valley trails didn’t really help hikers understand where these trails were located with respect to their surroundings, because all we were photographing much of the time were trees. So by getting on top of certain summits, we could give hikers a “bird’s eye view” of their Glacier Park Hikes, which is tremendously more helpful to our website visitors in our opinion.

Click Here … to visit our Glacier Park Hikes page.
This page includes all of the Day Hikes in Glacier Park, all of the Multi-Day Hikes in Glacier Park, as well as everything else you need to know about vacation and hiking in Glacier National Park.

Waterton Lakes National Park
We have also spent a lot of time in Waterton Lakes National Park through the years, and we have hiked all of the Waterton Lakes National Park Hiking Trails. We have photo-documented most of them, and have now published our Waterton Lakes National Park section, which includes Waterton Lakes Hiking Trails, as well as the “Top Ten Things To Do In Waterton Lakes National Park“, and much more.

To visit our Glacier Park Hikes page, click here.
To visit our Waterton Lakes National Park Hikes, click here.

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Glacier Park Hikes: Our Favorite Short and Easy Hikes in Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is a hiker’s dream come true. This amazing park provides hikers with an incredible variety of hikes that include the entire range of levels of difficulty, ranging from long, strenuous 6 to 7 day overnight hikes that cross 5 to 6 mountain passes and tens of thousands of feet of elevation gain and loss, to short and easy half mile hikes. Many Glacier Park Hikes are considered world-class, and are among the best hiking opportunities in North America.

This article will focus on the classic Glacier Park hikes that are considered to be short and easy, and do not require a lot of energy. We will share with you our favorite short and easy hikes in Glacier Park that will provide you with outstanding views and scenery without requiring you to hike 20 miles and climb 3,000 feet in vertical elevation.

Get Out Of The Car
One of the most magical things about Glacier National Park is you will literally be surrounded by pristine beauty by only taking about 10 steps off the road…. and that’s a point we want to make before we give you the list of easy Glacier Park hikes. A fair amount of Glacier Park visitors will drive the Going To The Sun Road and enjoy the views and have a great time, but they never get out of their vehicles and get INTO the scenery. By taking just a few steps on an easy trail, you will be surrounded by pristine beauty just as if you hiked for 4 days into the backcountry. So we HIGHLY recommend that if you’re at all physically able, get out of your vehicle and enjoy a short simple Glacier Park hiking experience, even if you only walk 100 yards.

The “Magic” of Glacier National Park
What we often see in Glacier National Park is that the “Glacier Park Magic” creeps into people- of all shapes, sizes and ages, and this “magic” inspires them to start hiking. They are so inspired that they begin walking along the Hidden Lake Trail boardwalk intending to walk just a few hundred yards, and they find themselves a mile and a half up the trail standing on the Hidden Lake Overlook, enjoying probably one of the most incredible views they’ve ever seen in their entire lives. And we’re not kidding about all shapes, sizes and ages. We’ve seen it all at the Hidden Lake Overlook, and it warms our hearts. The “Magic of Glacier Park” is a powerful thing, and once you get out of your car, you’ll know what we’re talking about.

With this being said, below is a list of our ten favorite short and easy Glacier Park hikes:

1. Hidden Lake Overlook
The Hidden Lake Trail begins at the Logan Pass Visitor Center on the Going To The Sun Road in Glacier National Park, and is a short 1.5 mile Glacier Park hike to the Hidden Lake Overlook, and is among some of the some gorgeous scenery on the planet. Much of this trail is a boardwalk, and you can walk as far as you’d like, whether it’s a few hundred yards, or all the way to the Hidden Lake Overlook. The views are magnificent the entire way. This is probably the most popular of the short Glacier Park hikes.

2. Highline Trail (first few miles)
The Highline Trail is without question one of the most popular Glacier Park hikes, and is the gateway (or exit) of many of the remote northern overnight Glacier Park hikes. The Highline Trail is nearly 30 miles long and ends up at Goat Haunt Montana, but what most visitors of Glacier Park do is simply hike up the trail a mile or so to enjoy the amazing views and wildlife, and then simply hike back to where they began, which is Logan Pass along the Going To The Sun Road.  A very “thrilling” section of the trail is the “Highline Trail Cliff Walk”, which is found along the first mile of the hike. The trail works its way along the side of a huge cliff, with the Going To The Sun Road hundreds of feet below it. There is a cable to hang on to for those who are a little fearful of heights.

3. Trail of the Cedars
The Trail of the Cedars is located just about 6 miles west of Lake McDonald Lodge along the Going To The Sun Road. This is also a boardwalk, and is less than a mile in length. The entire hike is on flat ground, and you will be surrounded by an old growth cedar, hemlock and black cottonwoods. The trees are enormous, and the entire area reminds us of “Jurassic Park”, because of the moss, ferns and towering giants. At the far end of the boardwalk you will enjoy the famous Avalanche Gorge. If you’re so inspired, you can leave the boardwalk loop and hike to Avalanche Lake. The Trail of the Cedars hike is also one of the most popular of the short Glacier Park hikes.

4. Red Rock Falls
The Glacier Park hike to Red Rock Falls is located in the Many Glacier Area of Glacier National Park. The trailhead is located at the far west side of the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn parking lot, and is part of the Swiftcurrent Pass Trail. This 1.8 mile section (one way) of this Glacier Park hike is flat as a pancake, and the scenery is breathtaking. Along the way, you will pass by Fisher Cap Lake which is a favorite hang-out for moose, as well as Red Rock Lake. The hike to Red Rock Falls takes you through the middle of the famous Many Glacier Valley, with huge mountains towering above you on both sides of the valley. Red Rock Falls are not huge waterfalls, but are still very scenic, especially with the bright red rocks that form the waterfalls, and is a popular place to enjoy a lunch while the kids play on the red rocks. The hike to Red Rock Falls is definitely among the most popular of the short Glacier Park hikes.

5. Grinnell Lake Trail
The Grinnell Lake Trail is an extremely popular Glacier Park hike and is located in the Many Glacier Area.  This is a very flat hike that provides magnificent scenery. You can head out on this hike directly from the front door (facing the lake) of the Many Glacier Hotel, or you can take the popular Many Glacier Boat Tour to shorten your hike. Without the boat the hike to Grinnell Lake is 3.4 miles one way, and if you take the boat your hike is only 0.9 miles (one way) in length. Whichever option you choose, you will be surrounded by incredible scenery the entire way. The hike to Grinnell Lake is unquestionably among the most popular of the short and easy Glacier Park hikes.

6. Swiftcurrent Lake Loop Trail
The Swiftcurrent Lake Loop Trail is another of the popular Glacier Park hikes and is part of the Grinnell Lake Trail Complex, where the trailhead is located at the Many Glacier Hotel, and heads along the southeast short of Swiftcurrent Lake. This trail complex is again very level, and provides wonderful scenery and a host of wildlife viewing opportunities. The Swiftcurrent Lake Loop Trail is shaped in a “figure 8”, where you can either simply follow the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake all the way around, or you can also take the second loop that wraps around Lake Josephine and eventually takes you back to where you started at the Many Glacier Hotel.

7. Sun Point Nature Trail
The Sun Point Nature Trail is located on the east side of the Going To The Sun Road, just about a half mile west of the Wild Goose Island Overlook. This short Glacier Park hike is only about a mile in length (one way), and provides you with stunning views of St. Mary Lake with towering mountains lining the skyline.

8. Trick Falls (Running Eagle Falls)
Located in the Two Medicine Area of Glacier Park, Trick Falls (a.k.a. Running Eagle Falls) is a very short 0.3 mile hike and is very rewarding. Trick Falls is named as such because it is actually two waterfalls in one. There is the taller falls, and directly underneath these falls is a shorter waterfall that pours into the same pool. These amazing falls in the Two Medicine Area of Glacier National Park are best viewed early in the season, during the month of July. The later in the season it becomes, the less dramatic the falls are due to a seasonal decrease in water flow.

9. St. Mary Falls / Virginia Falls
If you like waterfalls, the hike to St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls is definitely the Glacier Park hike for you! The trailhead is located along the east side of the Going To The Sun Road, just west of the Sunrift Gorge Turnout (about 10.5 miles west of St. Mary). This is definitely one of the most popular short Glacier Park hikes, and it provides hikers with not only two major waterfalls, but also many additional incredible cascades and shorter waterfalls along this amazing hike. The hike is 1.8 miles to Virginia Falls, which is the largest of the falls on this hike.  St. Mary Falls is the first falls you will encounter, which are 1.2 miles from the trailhead. The first part of the trail has a bit of a grade, but is usually not a problem for most visitors.

10. South (or North) Shore Trail, Two Medicine Lake
Located in the Two Medicine Area, this easy yet scenic hike follows the south shore of Two Medicine Lake. The trailhead is found at the boat dock, and along the way are some ponds providing great moose habitat. This trail actually keeps going to either Two Medicine Pass, or it also loops around Two Medicine Lake to the North Shore Trail, which then eventually takes you back to the Two Medicine parking area (via Pray Lake), however that is close to 7 miles in length. The hike to the west end of Two Medicine Lake is about 3 miles one way, or you can just hike a mile or so. No matter what you choose to do, you’ll enjoy this easy hike. (Equally scenic is the North Shore Trail, whose trailhead is located at the Two Medicine Campground along Pray Lake.)

This wraps up our article on short and easy Glacier Park hikes. Remember, even if you only hike up these trails a few hundred yards, you will be surrounded by pristine beauty, just as if you hiked 20 miles into the backcountry. That’s the wonderful thing about Glacier Park… And as we talked about before, if you get out of your car and take just a few steps on a trail, the “Magic of Glacier Park” will cast it’s spell on you, and who knows where you’ll end up!

For all the details on our favorite Short and Easy Glacier Park Hikes, click here.

For a list of other short and easy Glacier Park hikes that we did not mention in this article, click here.

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Glacier Park Hikes: A List Of Our Favorite Day Hikes
Glacier National Park is a hiker’s dream come true.  With over 800 miles of incredible hiking trails located in some of the most beautiful landscape on planet earth, Shannon and I had a really difficult time choosing our 10 favorite day hikes in Glacier Park.  But after careful consideration, below is our list of these amazing Glacier Park hikes that are our personal favorite….  And please keep in mind that this list is not in any particular order….

Grinnell Glacier Trail
The Grinnell Glacier Trail is without question one of the most scenic day hikes in Glacier National Park.  The view the entire hike is jaw-dropping, and very much worth the effort to hike this iconic Glacier Park hike.  Located in the Many Glacier Area, the Grinnell Glacier Trail is a “must do” hike for anyone interested in hiking in Glacier Park.  And by the way, even if the actual Grinnell Glacier is closed due to snow hazards, this hike is still very much worth your time because the views all the way up to the closure are awe-inspiring.

Iceberg Lake Trail
The Iceberg Lake Trail in the Many Glacier Area is yet another iconic, world-class hike in Glacier National Park.  The views the entire way are spectacular, and usually through the end of July and even into August, you’ll get to see icebergs floating on this famous lake.  The Iceberg Lake Trail is without question a “must do” for anyone interested in day hiking in Glacier National Park.

Highline Trail
Yet another world-class Glacier National Park hike is the Highline Trail.  Located at Logan Pass along the Going To The Sun Road, the Highline Trail provides breathtaking vistas as far as the eye can see.  You can hike just a few miles and then turn around, or go all the way to the historic Granite Park Chalet– it’s whatever you’re in the mood for.  The Highline Trail is an extremely popular Glacier Park hike, and is definitely a “must do” for those visitors who want to experience one of the classic Glacier Park Hikes.

Hidden Lake Trail/Overlook
Located on Logan Pass along the Going To The Sun Road in Glacier National Park, the Hidden Lake Trail is among the iconic Glacier National Park hikes that is an absolute “must do” for anyone wanting to witness probably the most gorgeous 1.5 miles they’ve ever seen in their entire lives.  You will be surrounded by towering matterhorns and unbelievable vistas the entire hike.  The Hidden Lake Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Glacier National Park.  And by the way, if you want to see mountain goats up close, this is the hike for you!

Swiftcurrent Pass Trail
The Swiftcurrent Pass Trail begins at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn parking lot in the Many Glacier Area of Glacier National Park.  This hike includes Red Rock Falls and many other highlights, including Fisher Cap Lake, Bullhead Lake, Red Rock Lake, Swiftcurrent Headwall and Swiftcurrent Pass.  If you’re in shape and want to go further, you can hike up to the summit of Swiftcurrent Mountain or hike to the Granite Park Chalet- or both!  The Swiftcurrent Pass Trail is a magnificent Glacier Park hike for those who are in fairly good physical condition.  The scenery is absolutely world class the entire way.  And don’t forget that you can go as far as you want… If you just want to get to Red Rock Falls, that’s great.  That section of the trail is very level and pleasant for all levels of hikers.   The Swiftcurrent Pass Trail is without question one of the classic Glacier Park hikes that you really need to experience first hand!

Dawson – Pitamakan Loop
Located in the Two Medicine Area, this 18 mile Dawson-Pitamakan Loop day hike is definitely one of our favorite hikes in Glacier National Park.  The views from this trail very well may be some of the most awe-inspiring of any hiking trail in North America, and we highly recommend it for those of you who are looking for a longer day hike.  During your hike along the Dawson – Pitamakan Loop, you will hike over three mountain passes, and will hike directly on the Continental Divide for several miles.   We love the hike around the Dawson-Pitamakan Loop, and we are confident you will too!  (Please note that you should be in reasonable physical condition to attempt this all-day, fairly strenuous hike.)

Gunsight Pass Trail
The Gunsight Pass Trail is an amazing Glacier Park hike that begins at the Jackson Glacier Overlook along the Going To The Sun Road and ends at Lake McDonald Lodge.  This 20 mile Glacier Park day hike provides incredible diversity as you cross two major mountain passes and some gorgeous lakes including Gunsight Lake and Lake Ellen Wilson.  The scenery along the entire way along the Gunsight Pass Trail is “post card” perfect, and an added treat along this iconic hike is the historic Sperry Chalet, which is located on the last leg of your hike.  We can’t put into words how amazing this hike is, but you really need to be in good physical condition before attempting this Glacier Park hike.  (The Gunsight Pass Trail is also one of the favorite overnight backpacking routes for those who enjoy overnight backpacking in Glacier Park.)

Cracker Lake
The Cracker Lake Trail is located in the Many Glacier Area of Glacier National Park, and is a very worth while day hike.  The turquoise color of Cracker Lake is stunning, and that in itself is worth the effort to see, let along the wonderful scenery that surrounds you the entire way.  Directly above Cracker Lake looms the famous North Face of Mount Siyeh.  This 4,200 foot vertical wall is one of the largest walls in North America.  It’s only been successfully climbed once, and once you get underneath this massive wall, you’ll see why.   The Cracker Lake Trail is very enjoyable… And by the way, don’t worry about the horse trail that you’ll be on for the first several miles… the trail turns into a regular hiker’s trail (thank goodness) the rest of the way to the lake.

Siyeh Pass
We always enjoy the hike to Siyeh Pass in Glacier National Park.  This is definitely one of the classic Glacier Park hikes that provides eye-popping vistas that you’ll never forget.  This famous hike begins at the Siyeh Bend along the Going To The Sun Road in Glacier Park, and ends at the Sunrift Gorge Pullout on the Going To The Sun Road.  The Siyeh Pass Trail one of the higher passes in Glacier National Park, and the view from the pass is spectacular.

Piegan Pass
The Piegan Pass Trail begins at the Siyeh Bend along the Going To The Sun Road in Glacier National Park and either ends the same place you started, or you can hike down to the Many Glacier Hotel once you’ve reached the pass.  We really like this hike and we are always thrilled with the scenery no matter how many times we’ve been on this trail.  The Piegan Pass Trail is definitely one of the top hikes in Glacier National Park, and deserves to be in our “Top Ten List of Day Hikes” in Glacier Park.

An additional favorite of ours:  Sperry Glacier Trail
The Sperry Glacier Trail is one of our personal favorites, and really needs to be mentioned on this page.  This fantastic hike takes you to the foot of the mighty Sperry Glacier, which is one of the largest glaciers in Glacier National Park.  The trailhead is located at Lake McDonald Lodge on the west side of the park.  This can be either a long day hike, or what many visitors do is stay a night at the Sperry Chalet and hike to Sperry Glacier the following day.  The astonishing and diverse landscape along this world-class hike is impossible to put into words- you’ll just have to see it for yourself!  The hike along the Sperry Glacier Trail really should be among the top ten hikes in Glacier National Park– we really love this hike!!!

There you have it…. the list of our ten favorite hikes in Glacier National Park.  But keep in mind, there are many other wonderful day hikes that deserve to be on this list…. maybe we should have picked our “top twenty” hikes in Glacier National Park to be fair to the other classic hikes not mentioned in this article.

For a list and detailed description of all the hikes in Glacier Park, Click Here.

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