- Highline trail and Garden Wall Trail to the Grinnell. Glacier Overlook. – hard
- Siyeh Pass Trail to Siyeh Pass – hard
- Avalanche Lake Trail – moderate
- Hidden Lake Trail – moderate
- Saint Mary’s Falls Trail – moderate
- Quartz Lake Loop – moderate
- The highline trail is one of the most scenic trails in all of glacier national park. There is never a moment where you don’t have a good view. This also makes it one of the most popular hikes in the park so plan to get there early. The trail starts at Logan Pass’s parking lot and travels west above the going to the sun road. If the parking lot is full, you can always park near a shuttle stop and take the shuttle to Logan Pass. Many people turn around after Haystack butte which is about 4 miles in. If you have it in you, it is definitely work continuing on and then going up the steep 1.1-mile Garden Wall Trail Spur to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook to be rewarded with 360 views. On the way back you can either back track the approximately 7.5 miles or you can head to the Granite Park Chalet, and head down the Loop trail which cuts about 2 miles off your hike; however, it is a steep downhill, and your knees might be hurting by the end. On this hike I did in August 2022 and saw mountain goats, deer, and golden eagles on the hike.
Total Miles Roundtrip: 15 miles Total elevation gain: 3,400 ft.
- Siyeh Pass Trail is another scenic trail in the park, but less popular than the Highline Trail. The hike begins at Siyeh Bend, and goes through flower filled valleys, crosses through forests, climbs through meadows, and up a glacier moraine to magnificent views of the many glacier valley. If you are up for it, you can head back to the junction with Piegan Pass Trail and add about 3.5 miles to connect Piegan Pass as well for fabulous views of the park’s largest glacier, Blackfoot, as well as its neighbor Jackson Glacier. Piegan Pass trail can have some snow fields which can deter some. Check with a park ranger for current conditions and if crampons are recommended.
Total Miles Roundtrip: 12.5 miles Total elevation gain: 2,800 ft.
- Avalanche Lake Trail is another very popular trail in Glacier National Park. The parking lot fills up very fast before sunrise in the summers so it might be easiest to park anywhere you can find parking and then take the shuttle to the trailhead. The trail starts off along the Trail of the cedars which is wheelchair accessible and has information about how to tell the difference between hemlocks, cottonwoods, and of course cedars. Then avalanche lake trail splits off and follows Avalanche creek through the forest and comes to the end of Avalanche Lake with a rocky beach, surrounded by mountains. The trail continues on about ½ mile along the lake, but not much is beyond the beach.
Total Miles Roundtrip: 5.5 miles Total elevation gain: 800 ft.
- Hidden Lake Overlook Trail is yet another very popular trail and will most likely be very crowded. But the crowds don’t deter the wildlife, both times I have done this hike (July 2020 and August 2022) I have seen many big horn sheep and families of mountain goats. The trail starts at logan pass and crosses some snow fields with steps that are very well established but some trekking poles might help make you feel more secure. You have great mountain views the whole hike, and end at a wooden platform with great views of the Hidden Lake below. Both times I have done this hike, the actual trail down to the lake has been closed due to bear activity so make sure to bring binoculars to try and spot grizzly bears playing in the lake below like we did! I would say this is a really easy hike but could be challenging due to the altitude for some.
Total Miles Roundtrip: 3 Total elevation gain: 600 ft.
- Mary Falls Trail will be less crowded than Hidden Lake and Avalanche Lake trails but is still worth the hike. You can start anywhere along Saint Mary Lake. Starting at Sun Point probably has the best parking situation, but the first part of the hike goes through a burn area, so on hot and sunny days it might be best to park near Sunrift Gorge where Baring Falls is a brief 5-minute walk to. The lakeshore hugging trail from between Baring Falls and Saint Mary Falls provides stunning views of Citadel Mountain across the lake. You might even spot some moose in the lake like we did! Continuing on to Virginia Falls is a bit more challenging but will be worth it! In 2020 we did this hike right after doing Hidden Lake Overlook.
Total Miles Roundtrip: 5 Total elevation gain: 500 ft.
- If you want a break from the crowds, head up north to Bowman Lake and do the Quartz Lake Loop trail. Because this is a less trafficked trail, there will most likely be some overgrown brush and logs to maneuver around so pants are recommended. When we hiked this trail in July 2020, we snacked on the huckleberries along quartz Ridge that were plentiful along the trail. The loop can be hiked clockwise or counterclockwise but on hot days, consider heading counterclockwise towards Lower Quartz Lake first since getting the hard steep part out of the way early in the day would be best. Once you pop over the ridge top, you will head down to Lower Quartz Lake which has a campground with pit toilets. When we did this trail, some campers warned us about bears between lower quartz lake and middle quartz lake, so we decided to turn back around. The campground offered a great lunch spot and swim before turning around.
Total Miles Roundtrip: 13 Total elevation gain: 2,600 ft.
