Grinnell Glacier

Absolutely beautiful and definitely worth the hike. It’s been my best hiking experience yet! The views on the way to the glacier were stunning, and I was lucky enough to spot a mountain goat and a moose along the way

Highly recommend! The trail is better than the destination in my opinion. Beautiful views the entire way especially when you arrive at the parking area at 5 am and start the hike at 6 am to catch the morning alpine glow. The parking lot was mostly empty at 5 am but filled up quickly. The glacier area is peaceful; however, if you've seen bigger and better glaciers than Grinnell is anticlimactic. The hike is moderate purely for the distance.

I’ve hiked this trail 5 times now. This is a tough hike, especially the last half mile, but worth it for the absolutely stunning views! The first 2 miles around the lake isn’t bad but once you start the Glacier trail it’s nothing but up with very few switchbacks. PROS: You get to be close to a glacier. You get dozens of different angles of a glacial lake as you hike up. You will probably see wild life. Big horn sheep like to hang out here but weren’t there this particular day. CONS: As I mentioned it’s a strenuous hike so pace yourself. This is a very popular hike in GNP so be sure to come early if you want a parking space. There will be a lot of people on the trail. It can be dangerous if you hike it beginning of June/ end of May or earlier so bring some sort of traction devise for snow and ice. Autumn is an absolutely stunning time to go.

I was a little worried because my wife and I are not particularly athletic and definitely one of the slower people on the trail. Even so, we made it to the top without much issue. Definitely a workout but there was nothing too extreme about the hike that made it impossible for us. The gradual incline was definitely a plus and the quarter mile steep incline we just took frequent breaks. Saw several bighorn sheep. Glacier was amazing. Despite it being so popular there was enough space for all to enjoy. Water is freezing. I dipped my feet in and had to take it out after 15 seconds. Overall took us a little over 3 hrs one way. We spent 2 hrs at the glacier. It is unshaded and does get hot in the afternoon so highly recommend to start early. Also trail gets narrow so much better to go up when there is no foot traffic coming down. There are sections where there are sheer cliff drops but I never felt unsafe. Highly recommend and totally feel accomplished that we were able to do it :)

Visited early Sep. This is one of the most scenic hikes in Glacier NP. Saw a ram and a mountain goat on the trail. The glacier lake is just so amazing and unusual with "bloody pond". The lake is big and at the far end is still snow covered, but could see the crevasses as snow was melting. This is a must hike!!

Beautiful, difficult hike for beginners. Well worth it. Got to see some moose at the bottom of the first lake, some deer halfway up and a grizzly bear at the top. The views are gorgeous all the way up.

Get the boat pass!! It cuts off roughly 4 miles round trip. This hike is long and no joke, but absolutely worth every minute. We were here July 2024

They say this Glacier will be gone in 8 -13 years so, don't miss your chance. This is one of the most beautiful hikes in Glacier National Park. Hike is challenging and should be planned as all day event. If you like extreme and you there in the summer swimming is and option but for everyone else - dipping you lags in will make you feel like you didn't hike at all and way back will be much easier. There is also lake in the beginning of the hire and swimming there is great way to complete this hike.

We were able to hike the Grinnell Glacier Trailhead through Many Glacier on the last day it was open for the season (9/19/21) but unfortunately the weather wasn't on our side. It was a constant mist/rain the entire hike and then getting into Grinnell Glacier it was snowing! We arrived at the parking lot by 7AM and there were already 10 cars parked and we started the hike around 7:30. By the time we got back, around 1PM, the lot was full but the rain started coming down more so people were leaving. It's about a 10-11 mile hike RT. During the summer, you can opt to pay to take a boat across Lake Josephine to shorten the hike, but that was the easiest part. The part of the hike where you walk above Lake Josephine is probably the most picturesque - so gorgeous but a little foggy. When you finally get to the Glacier you're greeted with the bluest water bend and snow covered mountains. For this hike, the way back is easier and we were happy about that because we were cold and starting to feel miserable. Would love to do this hike again with better weather but it was still a beautiful one to do! We drove Going-to-the-Sun road and round the Rising Sun Boat Deck parking lot (which was empty during this time) and it was the perfect spot for a nap.

My friends and I hiked to Grinnell Overlook via the Granite park trail. The whole trail was out and back and a total of about 11.4 miles with around 3500 ft of elevation. Not gonna lie, the last stretch (the Garden Wall) was pretty rough as the trail was very narrow and incredibly rocky, and the wind was constantly screaming and whipping your face (definitely bring a windbreaker and protect your hats!!!). But despite the difficulty for us average hikers and the sad state of our feet afterwards, my friends and I absolutely loved the experience. It wasn't just about the view at the top for us. The entire trail was stunning and since we hiked late September, the red and golden foliage all around us made us feel like we were in another world. We saw various wildlife as well - mostly deer and chipmunks!

I was initially just planning to hike the Granite Park Trail to the Granite Park Chalet, but I met a very nice couple who was doing the same trail and eventually we formed a hiking group to get to the top. They were planning on going to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook and when we got to the Granite Park Chalet and could see the trail to the glacier overlook, I decided to continue going with them. The signs say that the overlook is only about 0.8 miles from the chalet but I can tell you that it definitely is not. My Apple Watch said that it was about 1.5 miles one way, and even though that doesn't sound bad, it is basically a straight incline all the way to the top. Everyone was struggling to get up there and there were some people, myself included, who at times wanted to turn around. What got me through it was the breaks but also the people who were on their way down who all said that it was worth it. The hike up is killer on your calves and is one of the most brutal hikes I've done in a long time. Let me tell you though: it is definitely worth it! The glacier is beautiful and the water was so blue. It was probably my favorite views during the entire two days that I spent at Glacier National Park. The overlook is at about 7,600ft elevation so you are pretty high up there. The walk back down was also brutal because it was completely downhill which puts a lot of pressure on your knees. With the entire Granite Park Trail and the Grinnell Glacier Overlook it's about 11.4 miles round trip and took me about 6 hours. This is the exact route that I took: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/montana/grinnell-overlook-via-granite-park You can also get to this overlook by hiking the Highline Trail starting at Logan Pass but it is a bit longer and the beginning requires you to walk along the side of the mountain and overlook the Going-to-the-Sun Road which can freak people out who are afraid of heights. You can get to the Grinnell Lake by hiking the Grinnell Glacier Trail which is what I wanted to do but it was closed due to bear activity. Personally though, I think it's a much better view from the top than it is from the lake itself as you can see over everything. Regardless of how you get there just know that it's going to be a long and strenuous hike to get to the lake. Make sure you bring lots of water, energy/granola bars, sunscreen, bug spray, and bear spray.

This is a pretty long hike but well worth it. If you want to shave a few miles off the trail then you can take the boat at the lakes down below. We walked the whole way up and down in about 6 hours and the views were quite spectacular. Definitely one of the best hikes in the park with some very awesome landscape views.

1. Ever hiked to a glacier? 2. We hiked the Swiftcurrent Nature walk, the hike to Grinnell lake, and a hike to Akipuni falls, from the Many Glacier Hotel our first 3 days in GNP. Temps were in the 80s -too hot to try Grinnell Glacier. 3. A ranger guided hike daily at 830am to the Grinnell Glacier, at Many Glacier Hotel. Advance reservations required for the 830am boat transportation. 4. The 4th day it rained with high winds pushing the rains like hail into our faces, so no hiking. I signed up at the boat dock and get on the wait list on the 8:30am ride the next day. 5. On the day of the hike, the weather was cloudy with the ground still wet from overnight rains. We get 20 oz Sport drinks from Heidi's shop in the hotel across from the boat dock. They have sandwiches, trail mix, beef jerky, and trail guides. 6. The boat trip costs $25 per adult round trip, and reduces the round trip hike from 13 miles to 11 miles. Many people didn't like the weather and did not show up, so we got 2 of the 40 seats on the boat trip. 7. The boat goes across Swiftcurrent lake. We hike over a 0.2 mile path up and down a hill, to the second boat, which crosses Lake Josephine. 8. After Lake Josephine, we cross 200 yards of narrow board walk, over marshland. We go up a very steep narrow dirt trail, for half a mile through heavy brush to the main trail. 9. The main trail stretches from the Grinnell Glacier trailhead three miles back on Many Glacier road. 10. The trail goes through dense forests of cedar and pine, with panoramic hilltop views of Swiftcurrent Lake, then Lake Josephine, both bright blue in color. 11. Over a rise we go through the woods, and then a panoramic view of Grinnell Lake. The lake's green color comes from sediment and rocks pushed down from Grinnell Glacier. 12. We hike uphill, over rocky terrain, with panoramic views of the valley below. In the far distance we can actually see the Salomander Glacier, which was once connected to Grinnell Glacier. Waterfalls from the glaciers flow down the mountain slopes. 13. We reach the traverse areas, and follow a zigzag path up the slopes. The forests recede, and we are in alpine country. Big horn sheep rest a 100 yards away. 14. We look down on three lakes, from a narrow trail, barely wide enough for two people. In some areas the trail narrows to single person width, with walls of stone on one side, and a cliff edge on the other side. Not for people afraid of heights! 15. One area has a cliff stairway, where a gentle waterfall runs down the wall onto hikers below. And you thought you had a bad hair day! 16. At this point all the trees are gone, and we are hiking hundreds of feet above Grinnell Lake on a rim trail going around the cliffs above the lake. 17. The wife and I are on our last breath, being passed by all 24 people in the group, and seemingly everyone in the state of Montana! 18. The trail levels out, and in a distance we can see the snows of the glaciers, and the waterfalls, coming closer and closer. 19. We reach a rest area 0.4 miles from the outlook, complete with benches and 2 pit toilet outhouses. No lights in those phone booth size outhouses, so my aim wasn't optimal -sorry ladies! And you better hold your breath, as no ventilating the odors. 20. We have a lunch of steak nuggets jerky, trail mix, and fruit strips -all from Costco. I also bring fruit cups from Kalispell Super 8 continental breakfast. 21. The hike from the rest area to the outlook is 0.4 miles but it takes half an hour over steep rocky alpine terrain trails, above the forest line. 22. Over a rise, we see a huge layer of ice in the background, with a green lake of icebergs in and out of the moving mist and fog. 23. 12:30pm, after 6 miles and a 1600 foot elevation gain, we are at the glacier outlook. Walking 20 minutes around the lake, and through columns of boulders and rocks, we touch Grinnell Glacier resting on the side of the mountain. 24. Sign says no walking on the lake ice nor the glacier. Got your life insurance in order? Hidden crevasses lurk below! 25 1:30pm we start back down the steep rocky trail. We meet teenage girls in short shorts and Chako sports sandals going up. Showing off those legs and painted toenails! Can't stop to oogle as the wife is right behind me! 26. Tough going down with tired legs, and I have a tendency not to lift my feet, and my boots catch the tops of rocks, shooting pains up my toes. 27. 3:55pm we reach the boat dock on Lake Josephine, well in time for the 4:15pm boat back to the hotel -last boat leaves at 5:15pm. but will have a 2nd boat if people still waiting. 28. At the hotel I pull off my hiking boots, and the entire bottom sole becomes unglued. I survived the Grinnell Glacier hike, but my boots didn't! 29. The next 3 days I hike in my Chako women's sport sandals, with glances from a lot of the ladies! 30. A week later on Labor Day weekend it snows heavily, requiring crampons to hike the trail!

Grinnell Glacier is amazinggggggggg! The lakes were so clear and blue and Grinnell Glacier was beautiful despite what's left of it :( The crystal blue water was insane. Enjoy seeing this glacier because it's going to be gone in a couple years D: Grinnell Glacier Trailhead is located in the Many Glacier area, near the Many Glacier Hotel. On the hike, you pass by three lakes (Swiftcurrent Lake, Josephine Lake, and Grinnell Lake). If you want to shave off about 3.4 miles roundtrip, you can take two shuttle boats across Swiftcurrent Lake and Josephine Lake. Note, there is a fee to take those boats. Along the hike, you see beautiful landscape of mountains, alpine lakes, bighorn sheep, and of course at the end, Grinnell Glacier. Everywhere you turn it's a picture perfect moment. This is a popular hike so get here early since parking can be difficult. This hike is roughly 7.6 miles roundtrip and is marked as strenuous. The elevation gain is 1840 feet. We started the hike around 7:30am and got back around 2pm after snacking and taking breaks throughout the hike and chilling at Grinnell Glacier. It was shady going to the glacier and sunny on the way back. We saw a group of bighorn sheep just before we got to Grinnell Glacier! It was pretty cool. There's also a pit toilet just before the glacier part. This is hike is a bear-frequenting area so make sure you hike with a group of three or more, make noise, and carry bear spray!

Although the trail was closed at 3.5 miles, this was our favorite hike in Many Glacier. We saw a grizzly and a deer, but missed the moose. We had a group of 4 with a variety of ages (9-49) and it was a top pick for all of us. Next time we are in Glacier, we hope to finish this trail.

Went to Glacier National Park for the first time. Park is a little overcrowded if you are looking for solitude on day hikes. Grinnel Glacier was beautiful though there were many people out on the trail. I spent 5 days hiking in the Park and no place was more picturesque than this trail.

very very VERY long hike! 11 miles... took 6 hrs.... bring water and bear spray! aside from just being a very long walk, the hike is very do-able for all levels. no need to get on your hands and knees. hiking boots are recommended though. this was a great experience and very memorable since we were afraid the bears would come back on the trail again. idk if i would do it again so soon, but the views along the way are phenomenal!