Glacier National Park Itinerary

I spent the summer of 2019 living and working in Glacier National Park as a red bus driver. I have done every day hike the park has to offer, as well as many backpacking trips. There is so much to see in this park; even after a full summer there, I felt like I still had things left on my to-do list. But, to get the best feel of the park and the towns nearby, here is how I would structure a week in Glacier National Park.

Day 0:

PM: Arrive, head to hotel in Kalispell and settle in. Welcome dinner at Mercantile Steak, a swanky little steakhouse with really great food.

Day 1: Explore Columbia Falls and Kalispell, Avalanche Lake hike

AM: Eat breakfast in Kalispell (Sykes Diner, Nickel Chuck's, Echo Lake Cafe-Echo Lake is my recommendation but it is a little farther outside of town). Shop around in Kalispell-there are lots of cute little shops around both Kalispell and Whitefish!

PM: Grab lunch at Montana Coffee Traders in Columbia Falls. (Their yellow Thai curry is to die for and they have amazing coffee/espresso).

Drive into the park to hike Avalanche Lake, a moderate hike to a beautiful low-alpine lake. If you have time, it is also worth a visit to Polebridge (north of Lake McDonald for a huckleberry bear claw!

Evening: Get dinner at Russell's Fireside Dining Room at Lake McDonald Lodge (the bison burger with huckleberry is GREAT!!) before driving back to town.

Day 2: Full Day Red Bus Tour

8AM: You have a full day (8 hour) red bus tour, starting at Lake McDonald Lodge. Make sure to eat breakfast beforehand. You will have lunch at the Many Glacier Hotel so there is no need to bring lunch but you may want to bring snacks and water. You will make several stops along the way for pictures and to stretch your legs. This tour is a fabulous way to see the park and is the best way to drive the somewhat treacherous Going-to-the-Sun Road without having to actually watch the road. Everyone in your group gets to sit back and relax for the day, enjoy the view, and get a feel for the park and its history.

Dinner: You can either have dinner at Lake McDonald Lodge, Apgar, or head back to Columbia Falls/Kalispell for dinner.

Stunning views along Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Day 3: Drive up to Logan Pass, either hike the Highline Trail or to Hidden Lake, continue on to Many Glacier

AM: Get up early, check out of your hotel. Get breakfast in town before heading back into the park to drive over the road for yourself! You are going to follow the same path you did yesterday, but this time you can make any stops you didn't get to yesterday.

My Suggestions:

-Stop at Logan Pass, this time hiking either the Highline Trail or to Hidden Lake. These are both easy, low-elevation-gain hikes with INSANE views!! Just make sure you get to Logan Pass as early as possible, as parking will fill up.

-Make a stop at the St Mary visitor center just on the east side of the park. They have a cute little gift shop and a coffee shop with delicious treats!

PM: For dinner, either stop at Two Sisters (I LOVE this spot!!!! I spent many nights having dinner here when I lived in the park) for a casual dining experience or head up to the Many Glacier Hotel for a more fancy dinner. You are staying at the Many Glacier Hotel for the next three nights(yay!).

Hiking through fields of Beargrass near Bowman Lake.

Day 4: Full Day Hike

Today is your biggest hiking day! The best three options from the Many Glacier Hotel are listed below. Each of the three are so beautiful and offer gorgeous views. You cannot go wrong with any of these options.

Grinnell Glacier: 11 miles, 2100 ft vert

Hike up to Grinnell Lake, above which is Grinnell Glacier, one of the 26 remaining glaciers left in the park.

Iceberg Lake: 10 miles, 1500 ft vert

This lake is aptly named, as it is frozen mostly year-round. This is a really spectacular lake and is probably the most popular of the three.

Cracker lake: 13 miles, 1600 ft vert

Cracker lake is the least difficult of the three hikes, with the lowest amount of elevation gain. This lake showcases the iconic bright blue glacial-silt water on a clear day.

Evening: For dinner, either eat at the Many Glacier Hotel, or at Two Sisters, whichever option you did not have last night.

Views at the start of the hike up to Grinnell Glacier.

Day 5: Relaxing Day

After three days of being on the go, this is your least structured day. If you are wanting a relaxing day around Many Glacier, you can take a boat ride around the lake, read a book on the porch of the hotel, walk the 3-mile loop around Many Glacier lake, or head up to Swiftcurrent and visit the gift shop up there.

Day 6: Leave & drive back to the west side of the park

This is your final day in the park! Pack up and check out of the hotel. You’ll drive over Going-to-the-Sun road one last time, so make sure to do any last stops that you haven’t gotten to yet or repeat your favorites!! You can also drive around the south-side of the park. This route provides the option to stop at Two Medicine (see notes below), or at the historic Izaak Walton Hotel. There is also a GREAT coffee shop & bakery (Glacier Park Trading Co) in East Glacier Park, as well as some great restaurants and another historic hotel (the Glacier Park Lodge) to check out. Just make sure to leave yourself plenty of time if you fly out this evening.

NOTES:

If you have an extra day, it is worth checking out the Two Medicine area of the park. The entrance is on the east side of the park and is the least visited area. The lake is beautiful, with the iconic multi-colored rocks. There is a great little gift shop and café, and many lovely hikes leaving from the lake. The gift shop had AMAZING huckleberry soft serve back when I worked there.

Permits are now required post-2020. Apply through the National Park Service website and read up on when you can enter the park without a permit.

LEAVE NO TRACE!!! This park is heavily trafficked so do your part in preserving its beauty by staying on trail, leaving no trash behind, and not feeding or getting close to any animals. Also, be respectful and do not play music out loud on trail,

Bear protection: If you are hiking anywhere in the park, I really suggest bringing bear spray. When I lived in Glacier, I saw many bears each week and if you come face-to-face with one, you will have much more peace of mind if you bring bear spray. Be sure to educate yourself on bear safety before traveling to Glacier.

NOTE: Bear bells do not do anything to deter bears. Talking to each other (or to yourself) will do much more to keep them away.

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If you are interested in a custom trip itinerary, contact me at lauren.jones3@fora.travel or the submission box at the bottom of this page!