Our favorite hike ever Grinnell Glacier

Best Hike in Glacier National Park: Grinnell Glacier Trail

When we learned we would be traveling to Glacier National Park, we watched many YouTube videos on different hikes.  It was unanimous with our family that we would conquer the Grinnell Glacier Trail.  We thought, “How cool would it be to hike to a glacier!”

Where is the Grinnell Glacier Trail?

The Grinnell Glacier Trail is located in the Many Glacier area of the park.  You have to have a Park Pass and a vehicle reservation to enter this area.  See our post on how to obtain these!  We were not able to obtain a vehicle reservation since they were sold out when we booked this trip.  We did score a Glacier Boat Tour for the day we wanted to hike this trail.  This gained us access to the Many Glacier area.  Our Boat Tour was scheduled for 3PM, the Ranger only cared about making sure we were there on the correct date, the time does not matter!

We stayed on the West side of the park, it was a 2+ hour drive to Many Glacier!  We decided to take Route 2, all the way around the park.  You can also drive the Going to the Sun Road (GTTSR) but after some research and asking the locals, it was recommended to take Route 2 due to traffic and construction delays on the GTTSR.  We had plenty of water but we were hoping to stop for ice along the way but not a single gas station or store was open at the end of July from 5-7AM.  So make sure you plan accordingly!

How and Where We Started the Trail

We arrived at the Many Glacier Hotel by 7:30AM.  In late July, there was plenty of parking remaining.  We filled up our Camelbacks with 2 Liters of water each (but no ice), packed our backpacks with raincoats (just in case), lunch, snacks, cooling towels, sunscreen, and bear & bug spray (which we did not need).  We made a stop inside the hotel to use the bathroom before starting out.

The Glacier Boat Company leaves right outside the doors of the Many Glacier Hotel, the boat riders were just boarding when we departed for the trailhead just around the corner.  The Boat Tour takes about an hour to cross 2 lakes before joining the trail and it takes about 2 miles off of the hike each way! We started our hike when the first passengers were boarding.  The first 2 miles of the Trail were shaded and flat, definitely the easiest part of the trail.  We arrived at the same time as the boat passengers.  So if you want to take the boat, it doesn’t save any time but does save nearly 4 miles, the easiest miles you will hike all day though.  We met up with the passengers and it was straight up from the boat dock.

We made a lot of noise on those first 2 miles and had our bear spray ready just in case.  There were just a few people and lots of areas for wildlife.  Fortunately, we did not see any bears the entire hike!

The Trail Details…it goes up!

After the first 2 miles were flat, we started our ascent up nearly 2000 feet over the next 4 miles.  We quickly shed our layers to shorts and a tank top.  Those 4 miles were in the elements, no shade from the weather.  Most of the trail was a steady climb but beautiful scenery every direction we looked.

We could not keep up with our 14 year old, she rocked that ascent!  Our 11 year old (and several points, me) struggled but never felt like turning back.  It was tough but we took our time and stopped when needed.  The trail was crowded so we would let the faster people pass us and take a breather.  There was a great waterfall maybe a mile from the top.  It was refreshing.  Many people don’t like this area but we never felt unsafe at that point, or any point.

The Final Mile!

The final push was hard.  It was steep but with many switchbacks and stone steps,  it was doable. We were definitely out of breath by the time we made it to the top 3 hours from when we started.  And seeing the glacier is such an amazing site!  It made it all worth it!

Grinnell Glacier

We found a spot right next to the glacier water and enjoyed this spot for nearly an hour.  We dipped our toes in and watched the crazy people in the ice cold water.  The water was so cold!  Our family settled in and ate lunch on a Glacier, how cool is that?  We relaxed a bit and enjoyed the cool breeze.  The kids even put a layer back on, that breeze was chilly!  We were fueled and rested and ready to start our journey back down.

Our Descent

The day was getting warm and the trail was crowded with people making their way up still.  This is one hike I would start early.  I can’t imagine how hot these people were going to be.  We had a very sunny, cloud free day.  It was amazingly gorgeous but no shelter from the sun.  We cooled off in the waterfall that is a mile or so from the top.  The water was cold and refreshing.  The descent was definitely easier than going up!   Amazingly, it took us about the same amount of time going down as it did going up.  We attributed this to many people going up and having to wait for them to come through.

Our 11 year old and myself ran out of water with 3 miles to go!  I only had about 1/2 Liter on the way up so I was really trying to stay hydrated on the way down but over did it.  Thankfully we had a reserve water bottle that got us through.  We had a water filter but left it in the car, oops!

We made it!

This was a tough hike and is hands down the Best Hike in Glacier National Park: Grinnell Glacier Trail. In all it took us just under 7 hours, that included 1 hour at the top and 11.5 miles.  After the hike, we purchased ice cold water at the Many Glacier store and sat along the banks of Swiftcurrent Lake soaking our sore feet.  We could not believe what we just accomplished!  We even treated ourselves to soft serve at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn just down the road from the Many Glacier Hotel.  Highly recommend this stop to top off a great day!

Can kids hike the Grinnell Glacier Trail?

Yes, they can!  It might not be easy but they can do it!  Our 14 and 11 year olds did great.  Taking the hike slow and steady and having plenty of time allowed our kids to conquer the Best Hike in Glacier National Park.  We  invested in good quality hiking shoes for our kids.  We chose Salomon trail shoes.  In hindsight I wish we had hiking poles for our younger child, I think it would have helped him.  Even if you do not take the boat to cut off some mileage, my advice is to do the hike!  It was a truly amazing experience!  How many kids do you personally know who have hiked to a glacier?  I only know of my 2!

Tips to Enjoy The Best Hike in Glacier National Park: Grinnell Glacier Trail

• Pack more water than you think you will need, 3-4 Liters!
• Pack sunscreen, cooling towels, bug spray, and raincoats.  The weather can change quickly!
• I was happy to have a hat!
• Don’t forget a water purification system.
• Wear appropriate hiking shoes. Tennis shoes, crocs, and sandals would have made this hike so much harder!  We saw people wearing all kinds of non-trail shoes.
• Pack food
• Plan some time to enjoy the glacier.  Who knows if you will ever make it back there?
• Start early!  The heat of the day is brutal.  I was really worried about some of the people we saw going up well after lunch!
• Carry bear spray and know how to use it!
• Hike this trail even if you can’t get a boat reservation!  Don’t let that stop you!

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