Bowman Lake Trail to Brown Pass
Overnight hike in Glacier’s remote north region that combines some of the best scenery this national park has to offer.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 21 km
- Ascent
- 840 m
- Descent
- 162 m
11 Great Hikes in Glacier National Park
Get lost in the impressive scenery of Montana’s hiking hub.
Hiking Moderate, Difficult
Description
Lush meadows, glistening lakes, jagged rock formations, and expansive, star-speckled night skies—Glacier National Park is one of North America’s greatest natural treasures. Joined together in 1932 as the world’s first international peace park, Glacier National Park in Montana and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta form a combined expanse of 1,013,322 acres spread across the American and Canadian border.
Boasting a rugged topography with many glaciers, superb scenery, and diverse wildlife, it is no wonder that Glacier National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are over 700 hundred hiking routes in the park, so it's hard to know where to begin! We have curated a list of 11 hikes of varying severity to get your Glacier National Park exploration started.
Sources: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/354 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/glacier-national-park/
Routes included
Hidden Lake
Easygoing hike to beautiful Hidden Lake.
Moderate Hiking
- Distance
- 12 km
- Ascent
- 429 m
- Descent
- 429 m
Highline Trail + Grinnell Glacier Overlook
Simply put: One of the best day hikes in the world.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 21 km
- Ascent
- 758 m
- Descent
- 1.5 km
Swiftcurrent Mountain
Epic side trip to one of the best views in the park.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 7 km
- Ascent
- 530 m
- Descent
- 530 m
Swiftcurrent Pass Trail
A gorgeous day hike through the Swiftcurrent Valley.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 22 km
- Ascent
- 804 m
- Descent
- 804 m
Grinnell Glacier Hike
Day hike to the impressive Grinnell Glacier.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 19 km
- Ascent
- 638 m
- Descent
- 638 m
Iceberg Lake
Hike to a quintessential glacial lake!
Moderate Hiking
- Distance
- 16 km
- Ascent
- 468 m
- Descent
- 468 m
Ptarmigan Tunnel
Hike through a historic tunnel at the top of the Ptarmigan Wall.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 18 km
- Ascent
- 756 m
- Descent
- 756 m
Piegan Pass
A relatively uncrowded trail that provides fantastic views.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 15 km
- Ascent
- 589 m
- Descent
- 589 m
Dawson-Pitamakan Loop
A lengthy but epic hike over two passes.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 28 km
- Ascent
- 1.1 km
- Descent
- 1.1 km
Lake Josephine Loop
Gentle walk around two beautiful lakes.
Moderate Hiking
- Distance
- 9 km
- Ascent
- 103 m
- Descent
- 103 m
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