Best Hikes in Glacier National Park

An Insider and Flathead County resident of 24 years shares the Best Hikes in Glacier National Park to make the most of your vacation this summer.

Important! Read the 2026 entry update and the Many Glacier-Two Medicine construction schedule below:

24 years of hiking insider info:

When the peaks of Glacier National Park are visible from your house, you tend to spend a lot of time hiking in this glorious backyard. My family and friends have been hiking all throughout this park and all over Montana for over 24 years. Here is the list of my favorite 7 hikes- some are well known, others- not so much. And I’m throwing in my favorite hike outside of Glacier. 4WD is required to access the trailhead.

Update on Entry to Glacier National Park Summer 2026

This information is taken directly from the NPS website for Glacier Park. Please refer to the Park’s website for the most up to date information.

• You are NO longer required to have a vehicle reservation to enter the Park.
• Required for entry to the Park in 2026– A park entrance pass. Buy in advance and avoid long lines here. Please note- International visitors must pay an additional $100 fee. (We don’t like it either).
• NEW-Parking at Logan Pass– Parking is limited to 3 hours at Logan Pass. Hiking out to the Overlook to Hidden Lake typically takes about 2 hours.
• Overnight Parking at Logan Pass is NOT permitted without a back country permit or a reservation at Granite Park Chalet. Obtain Back Country Permits here.
• Going to the Sun Road Shuttles for Highline Trail and Longer hikes– The Park is requiring folks wanting to do longer hikes from the Logan Pass area to ride a ticketed express shuttle. You must make a reservation for the shuttle in advance. Shuttle passes are NOT available for purchase in the Park. Create an account at Recreation.gov and buy a shuttle ticket on a first come first serve basis. See details on how to buy a ticket below. The Day Hiker Shuttle provides round trip service from one of nine designated parking pull-outs marked as shuttle parking and pick-up locations along the Many Glacier Road between Sherburne Dam and the Many Glacier Entrance Station and the Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park.

More information on the Shuttle- Hiker System

• To ride the Day Hiker Shuttle, tickets are required. All passengers, regardless of age, must have their own ticket. 
• Day Hiker Shuttle Tickets are only available on Recreation.gov.  
• One (1) person can purchase up to 4 Day Hiker Shuttle Tickets per $2.00 reservation fee. You can make up to two (2) reservations per transaction per day for a total of 8 tickets per email account.  
• If there are more than 4 people in your party, the same person can purchase another $2.00 reservation with an additional 4 hiker shuttle tickets in the same transaction and email account for a total of 8 tickets. 
• During check out, select date, time and indicate the number of people in your group.  
• Tickets are limited.   
• A valid park entrance fee or park pass is required to enter the park. 

How to obtain a Going to the Sun Road Hiker Shuttle Ticket:

1. Go to Recreation.gov and search Glacier National Park Many Glacier Hiker Shuttle Ticket. The fee is $2 per person. You can buy up to 4 tickets at a time. The Day Hiker Shuttle provides round trip service from one of nine designated parking pull-outs marked as shuttle parking and pick-up locations along the Many Glacier Road between Sherburne Dam and the Many Glacier Entrance Station and the Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park.
2. To ride the Day Hiker Shuttle, tickets are required. All passengers, regardless of age, must have their own ticket. 
3. Day Hiker Shuttle Tickets are only available on Recreation.gov.  
4. One (1) person can purchase up to 4 Day Hiker Shuttle Tickets per $2.00 reservation fee. You can make up to two (2) reservations per transaction per day for a total of 8 tickets per email account.  
5. If there are more than 4 people in your party, the same person can purchase another $2.00 reservation with an additional 4 hiker shuttle tickets in the same transaction and email account for a total of 8 tickets. 
6. There is additional information on the Recreation.gov website. I strongly suggest you read it prior to purchasing your Shuttle/hiking tickets. This information includes times of shuttles.
7. The hiker shuttle will not stop at Avalanche or Trail of the Cedars.
8. A portion of shuttle tickets will be available 60 days in advance, starting on May 2, 2026, at 8 a.m. MDT, on a rolling basis.
   The remaining shuttle tickets will be available at 7 p.m. MDT for next-day entry starting June 30.

Scroll for the Best Hikes below:

And remember a few basic reminders-

• The best place for the most current information is on the Glacier National Park official website.
• Stay on the trails
• Stay at least 100 yards away from wildlife
• Take bear spray (and bug spray hiking in Glacier Park)
• Sometimes the best hikes are off season
• Take only photos and leave only footsteps- pack it in, pack it out

The List of the Best Hikes in Glacier:

• 1. The Highline Trail– I prefer to hike from Logan Pass down to the Loop. It’s about a 12-mile hike. Full sun exposure. Total elevation gain of 1950 feet. Lots of steep exposures- especially the first quarter of a mile along the ledge. If you do not like heights, maybe take a minute to think about this hike. Stop at Granite Park Chalet and use the pit toilet for a little break (It is rustic). Take at least 3 times as much water as you think you’ll need, sunscreen, and a wide-brimmed hat. There is no shade on most of the hike.
• WILDLIFE: Expect to see mountain goats, marmots, chipmunks, big horn sheep, deer, and the occasional grizzly.
• The last three miles are a slog. Park early at Logan Pass to catch the sunrise, hike down to the Loop (thank the good Lord for that amazing bathroom) grab the shuttle at the Loop, back up to your vehicle, and zip back up to pick up your vehicle. Chances are, you can grab a ride with someone who will want your parking spot at The Pass.
• Pro- Tip– Gatorade, Gatorade, water, water, and more water.

• 2. Avalanche Hike- Off Season – I love this trail, but I really love it off season. The photo above is from the trail in October. No one is around, you have the entire lake to yourself. If you go in the summer, take bug spray and water. It is a relatively easy 5.9 round-trip hike with a 757-foot elevation gain. You are in the shade most of the hike. There is a beautiful creek along a large portion of the hike- do NOT be tempted to lean over and grab a photo from the ledges. Two years ago, a young woman slipped and died on the rocks. There are toilets at the beginning of the hike and two new pit toilets not far from the lake. .
• Pro-tip– hike a bit down around the lake shore and picnic on the rocks away from the crowds. Take a thick blanket to sit on- those rocks are always cold and wet.

• 3. Apikuni Falls– A short little hike to a beautiful waterfall. Just over 700 feet of elevation gain. The only thing that is a bit alarming about this hike is the wind at the end. Kids will love it. The entire time I hiked this trail, I felt like a mountain lion was going to pounce on me, but we never even saw a chipmunk. East side of the Park on the way to Many Glacier. Only a dozen parking spots. Bear spray is always a good idea when hiking on the East Side.

• 4. Piegan Pass- This is a whopper 9.2-mile hike that begins just off the Sun Road at the Siyeh Bend trailhead, just 2.2 miles east of Logan Pass. Hike up along the creek and have a picnic on the rocks, then get ready to do a bit of elevation gain, about 1850 feet total. You will hike through forests, alpine groves, and then out into a beautiful meadow filled with Glacier Lilies early in the season. The final stretch is a jaw-dropping thin ledge to the Jackson Overlook. Don’t like heights- take poles or skip the last section.

• 5. Cracker Lake- 12. 6 miles with a 1400-foot elevation gain.
• Honestly, this is best done on Horseback because the first 2 miles, you will be walking in the same trail as the horses coming from the Many Glacier Lodge, and there is a lot of horse manure along the trail. After about 5 miles in, you will open up to incredible vistas in the canyon, making the forest section worth the slog. You will cross over footbridges along creeks, see waterfalls, and a few false summits before you get to the lake. Go with a crowd of people because you are in grizzly bear country, and berries are thick along this trail in summer.
• Pro-tip– take bear spray, make noise, bug spray, and tons of water.

Keep scrolling to see more of the Best Hikes in Glacier National Park.

More of the Best hikes in Glacier National Park:

• 6. Hidden Lake- But let’s go all the way down to the lake.
• Hidden Lake is one of those hikes that everyone does, but (insider secret) hardly anyone hikes down to the lake. Yes- it’s steep- 5.4 miles plus a 1325 foot elevation gain, but just go slow, take in the views. You will be rewarded with a hike with few tourists and not many folks down at the lake. There are a few spots for a picnic and fishing down at Hidden Lake, a decent pit toilet, and wildlife- expect to see deer, marmots, chipmunks, Big Horn sheep, and mountain goats- and perhaps grizzly. Pro-Tip- take bug spray and a big hat. Lots of sun exposure. (photo above- a small pond before you arrive at the Hidden Lake Overlook)
• READ THE 2026 Two Medicine and MANY GLACIER UPDATE BELOW:

Photo above- a view of St. Mary’s Lake 1 year after the 2015 fire. Below- a video of Virginia Falls taken in 2023.

Two Medicine Construction and Many Glacier Update:

1. Construction in the Two Medicine complex will take place between April 2026 then shutdown during high tourist season and begin again in the fall. Expect minimal delays or closures during this time with the exception of the Two Medicine Campground which will be closed all of 2026.
2. Many Glacier Updates– Construction will be wrapped up by May of 2026. A total of 339 parking spaces are now available- an increase of 171 parking spaces.

• 7. Virginia Falls– 3.6 miles round trip. 525-foot elevation gain. This is one of the easiest hikes in the park with a BIG payoff. The hike has changed dramatically since the fires along St Mary’s Lake in 2015. The trail begins a bit dusty, but then you begin to climb to a beautiful creek-lined trail. Some hikers get tricked and stop on the bridge, but keep going all the way to the Falls.- It is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the park, and even novice hikers can make the entire climb.

Read more about the best places to dine, picnic, and places to visit in my other Glacier Park Posts:

Favorite Hike Outside Glacier Park-

• Without a doubt, the hike to Mt Aeneas in the Jewel Basin is my favorite hike outside of the Park. It is a 6-mile hike with a 1781 elevation gain. Picnic Lake is one of my favorite places to relax along the trail. Dogs are allowed, but must be leashed. This is grizzly country- so if you take your dog, be prepared. Access the trailhead from Camp Misery. Incredible vistas of the entire valley.

2026 Park Entry and Many Glacier-Swiftcurrent Update:

Important information as of February 23, 2026- This information is from the Glacier National Park Website- read here.

The Swiftcurrent area is under construction until May 2026. There is limited public access due to construction. There will be over 171 NEW parking spaces this year enabling more folks to enjoy hiking in the area.