Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier National Park sits in the northern Rocky Mountains on the US-Canada border in Montana. The park covers about 4,000 square kilometres of peaks, valleys, and more than 700 lakes. When the park was established in 1910 it contained approximately 150 named glaciers; by 2024 fewer than 25 active glaciers remained, most significantly smaller than their historical extent. The landscape records this loss in newly exposed rock and moraines that were covered by ice within living memory.

The park pairs with Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park to form the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park (1932), the world’s first international peace park.

Going-to-the-Sun Road

The 50-mile (80 km) Going-to-the-Sun Road crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass (2,026 metres) and is the only paved road that traverses the park. It is the defining visitor experience. The road was completed in 1932 and is itself listed as a National Historic Landmark; the engineering required to cut it across near-vertical mountain terrain was extraordinary for its time.

The road is typically fully open from late June through mid-October, with partial access from both ends earlier in the season as snow is cleared. In peak summer, vehicle size restrictions apply (no vehicles over 21 feet long between Avalanche Creek and the St Mary Visitor Center). The park runs a free shuttle system along the corridor that makes car-free travel practical; the shuttles are also useful for point-to-point hiking.

Hiking

Highline Trail begins at Logan Pass and runs north along the Garden Wall for about 12 miles before descending to the Loop on the road below. The views east and west from the trail’s exposed sections are among the best in the park. Exposure to afternoon thunderstorms is a real consideration; start early.

Grinnell Glacier Trail (11.6 miles round trip from the Many Glacier area, elevation gain about 1,600 feet) ends at the remaining remnant of Grinnell Glacier above Upper Grinnell Lake. The lake’s turquoise colour from glacial silt and the visual contrast between surviving ice and exposed rock is one of the more striking things in the park.

Avalanche Lake Trail (4.6 miles round trip) is the most-used trail in the park for good reason: accessible from a trailhead directly on Going-to-the-Sun Road, passing Avalanche Gorge, and ending at a lake below a cirque wall with multiple waterfalls. The gorge section involves a short boardwalk through red argillite formations.

Wildlife

The park has healthy populations of grizzly bears (approximately 300 in the larger ecosystem), black bears, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, moose, and wolves. Goats are often visible from the Logan Pass visitor centre parking lot on the cliffs above. Bear spray is strongly recommended on any trail; the park’s concentrated visitor numbers and heavy berry crops create frequent wildlife encounters.

Where to Stay

Many Glacier Hotel on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake is the most scenically positioned of the historic park lodges (built 1915), with mountain views on all sides. Book at least six months ahead for peak season dates.

Lake McDonald Lodge near the park’s western entrance sits on the largest lake in the park. The lodge dates to 1913 and has the interior character appropriate to a century-old mountain hotel.

Outside the park, Whitefish (25 miles west of West Glacier) has a broader range of accommodation and a small-town Montana downtown with several good restaurants. The Amtrak Empire Builder train stops at both West Glacier and Whitefish.

Practical Notes

Vehicle reservations are required to drive Going-to-the-Sun Road between Apgar and St Mary from late May through September. These are separate from and in addition to the park entry fee. The reservation system opens in March and slots for July and August fill within hours. Arriving early in the season (late May-early June) or late in the season (September) avoids the reservation system and the heaviest crowds while offering comparable or better wildlife viewing conditions.

The nearest international airports are Glacier Park International (Kalispell, 30 miles from the west entrance) and Missoula, about 2.5 hours south.