Climb up over aqua lakes, through breathtaking mountainous panoramas, and to an incredible glacier. Take on the mesmerizing Grinnell Glacier Trail and you will be in awe. 😮 Glacier National Park in Montana is one of the most beautiful places in the country and this is the most incredible hike in the park!
I’ve been to Glacier four times and this trail has always been on my list. I finally got to conquer it on my last visit and it was even better than I expected! With astounding views for most of the trail up and incredible wildlife. We saw grizzlies, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and black bears! 🐐
So, if you’re going to Glacier and you only have time for one long hike make it the Grinnell Glacier Trail.
Take on this hike on your next visit to Glacier! Read below to get all the information you need including when to go, how to get boat reservations, and what the trail is like. Make sure you’re informed before you go!
*Note: This trail is best for moderate level hikers and you should know how to use bear spray before going.
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Grinnell Glacier Trail Details
Quick Hike Info
Distance: 4.6 miles
Elevation: 2000 feet of gain
Type: Out and Back
Length: 5-6 hours total (depends on your pace and breaks)
Difficulty: Hard (It’s incredibly steep and unrelenting)
Grinnell Glacier Location
You’ll find the Grinnell Glacier trail in the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park. This park is located in the Northwest area of Montana, about 5 hours from Bozeman and just an hour from the Canadian border.
If you are staying in the West area of Glacier, then you can either drive around the park on the south side or take the Going to the Sun Road. However, if you are visiting during peak season, you will need reservations for the Going to the Sun Road from 6 am to 3 pm. ⚠️
You can take a Many Glacier Hiker Shuttle Bus if you do not have a car, but space is limited!
Things to Know Before You Go
💵 Glacier National Park has a $35 fee per vehicle that lasts a week. You can also use an interagency pass to get in like your America the Beautiful Pass.
🥾 Trails are subject to closure in Glacier due to snow or bear activity. You can check updated trail conditions here.
🎟 Reservations are required for the Many Glacier area during the peak season through the first week of September. Reservations are only needed from 6 am-3 pm.
☀️ Weather changes quickly in the mountains, which means you should be prepared for inclement weather. While it may be warm and sunny at the base of the mountain, it can be stormy, windy, or cold at the top!
⛺️ There are a number of campgrounds in the park as well as backpacking opportunities. The Many Glacier campground is the closest to Grinnell Glacier, but reservations are required.
🐻 This is grizzly and brown bear country! Make sure that you stay bear aware and carry bear spray with you on the trails. Trails can get closed due to excess bear activity.
🦮 Pets are not allowed on the trails in Glacier National Park to protect the environment.
⚠️ Many Glacier is often closed during the year. It is typically open from sometime in May through October. But, you can always check the park website for the latest.
🍃 Remember to follow the Leave No Trace Principles. As always, you want to leave nature looking better than you found it.
How to Get a Many Glacier Reservation
Grinnell Glacier is in the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park and reservations are required during the peak season. So, if you plan on going you will need to get one ahead of time on recreation.gov.
You only need a reservations if you plan on visiting between 6 am and 3 pm.
You can make reservations 120 days in advance at 8 am Mountain time. However, if you miss out on those, they also offer reservations for one day in advance. So, you can book them the night before at 7 pm mountain time. You must have the reservation 📲 (I recommend screenshotting it) and your ID with you when you enter.
Taking the Boat to Grinnell Glacier
Many people choose to take the boat 🚤 across Josephine Lake, because it shortens your hike by around 2 miles each way. You can choose to either take the boat one way there or you can book a return ticket trip to book it one way.
Boat reservations count as vehicle reservations for the Many Glacier Area.
These boats often sell out months in advance, so try to plan ahead if you can. If you miss out on a boat trip ticket, then you can check for cancellations when you arrive there or by regularly scanning the website.
Best Time to Hike Grinnell Glacier
Like many other trails in this park, Grinnell Glacier is only open in the peak months from late June to early October. Because of how far North it is, there is often snow ❄️ covering the path during the rest of the year. But, the real best time to hike is when it’s warm and snow is not in the forecast!
The best time to hike this is from late June to early September.
It’s also a great hike to start early in the day before larger crowds come. We started this hike at like 10 am and there were plenty of people already out on the path. So, I’d say to try and start before 8!
What to Pack for the Grinnell Glacier Trail
The mountains can be very unpredictable, so you’ll want to be prepared for your hike up. On our Glacier Trip one day it was 80 degrees, the next it was a high of 55, and a few days later in snowed in August 🥶! So, my number one tip is to pack layers.
Glacier is also grizzly bear country, which means you should bring bear spray with you and be familiar with how to use it. Hopefully, you won’t run into any bears close by, but we did see a couple far below in the valley! You can read further for my packing list.
Packing List
- Comfortable Hiking Boots
- Day Pack
- Hiking poles
- Water Reservoir
- 1-2 Liters of Water
- Snacks and Food
- First Aid Kit
- Sunscreen
- Bug Spray
- Headlamp
- Shelter
- Rain jacket
- Light winter jacket
- Satellite phone
- Camera Clip
- Bathing Suit
- Towel
- Portable Charger
- Downloaded AllTrails Map
Grinnell Glacier Trail Description
Grinnell Glacier is truly one of the most spectacular hikes in the entire park 🤩 and it’s well marked so you should not get lost. That being said, you may want to know what to expect before you go. So, below is a detailed description of the various trail portions.
By Swiftcurrent Lake
It’s easy to get to the trailhead, because there are signs along the main road in Many Glacier for Grinnell Glacier. Once you park at the trail, you’ll continue into the woods and on a bridge over a creek.
This part of the trail is very flat and easy. 🙌🏻
Soon, it will open up a bit so that you have Swiftcurrent Lake on your left. You’ll walk along the waters edge before continuing right into the woods. There are multiple signs along the way.
Along Josephine Lake
After you get through the woods, you will find yourself at the stunning ice blue Josephine Lake. 💙 It’s one of my favorite lakes in the park and it’s a fantastic spot to stop for a picture or two. My best friend even got married at this lake!
If you are taking a boat for your hike, then this is where you will pick it up! you’ll see it on your left as the lake first appears.
Then, this trail continues along the lake and it’s also very flat. I loved this part of the hike because it was stunningly beautiful and also fairly easy. We decided that we wanted to walk both ways along this area.
Over Grinnell Lake
Finally, you’ll get past Josephine Lake and you’ll see the split off for Grinnell Glacier trail or Grinnell Lake trail. 🪧 You want to head to the right, where the path begins to climb up. People coming from the boat will meet up at this point.
Now, this is where the harder part of the hike begins as you gain 1000 feet of elevation in about 2 miles. Some of this hike requires you to walk up steps, other times you’ll wind your way through switchbacks 🥵, and other parts continue straight on the side of the mountain.
Parts of this mountainous path are fairly narrow with only room for one person, so be careful as you make your way.
But, the best part is that you will have INCREDIBLE views on your left the entire time 😍. First, you see the bright aqua of Grinnell Lake and then you come to an area where you can look back at all three lakes: Swiftcurrent, Josephine, and Grinnell. It’s so mesmerizing!
Also, if you’re lucky you may see some wildlife here. We saw two juvenile grizzly bears, a mama and baby mountain goat, tons of bighorn sheep, and a black bear with two cubs. Just make sure to keep your distance!
Up to Grinnell Glacier
After about mile 4 the trail gets even steeper with stairs on switchbacks. This last push is the steepest part of the hike, but it leads you to the end. So, you just have to power through for a little bit longer!
Finally, you’ll come over the crest of the hill and you’ll be able to see the iconic Grinnell Glacier and the lake below it. It does often get colder up at the top, so you may want to pack extra layers for that.
But, sitting by the lake is a great place to eat your lunch 🥪 and enjoy the reward for your tough climb. It’s definitely worth it!
Final Tips for Hiking the Grinnell Glacier Trail
Many of the trails in Glacier are tough and this one is no exception. So, make sure that you are prepared for a challenging hike with plenty of water, bear spray, and comfortable shoes. We saw many people along the way that did not know what they were getting into.
But, if you head out with all the proper gear and fuel, then you will have a fantastic day on the mountain. There’s really no hike that compares to the astounding Grinnell Glacier trail! ⭐️
Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this trail guide
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Ash here,
Extremely useful Lita.
I did this a fortnight ago,and reading your article,was sort of refreshing.
Every word of yours is true.
And as you mentioned,this perhaps is the best hike in Glacier National Park,and one of the best in the country.
TQ
Thank you so much!