Hiking is one of the best ways to experience backcountry wilderness. On a backcountry hike, you have an exclusive view of beautiful scenery that is not accessible when driving on the road, you have opportunities to encounter wild animals in their natural habitat, and you can enjoy every step as an accomplishment, rewarded by a stunning destination. When you visit Glacier National Park, to see some of the best scenery in the park, go on a hike. 

If you only have time to do one long hike, hike the Grinnell Glacier Trail. This trail has it all: sublime alpine mountain views, turquoise glacial lakes, lush meadows, plenty of chances to see mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and occasionally grizzlies. The most amazing part of this trail is the end, at Upper Grinnell Lake, with a massive glacier flowing into crystalline, turquoise water and floating icebergs – in summer.

Grinnell Glacier Trail is in the Many Glacier area, close to the East Entrance of Glacier National Park. The trail is outside the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and you don’t need any reservation to hike the trail. 

Grinnell Glacier Trail is 11.2 mile out-and-back trail. AllTrails rates the difficulty level as “hard,” but don’t let the rating stop you. The hard rating is based more on the total length than on technical difficulty.

If you are afraid of heights, there are a few sections on this trail where you will be hiking near a cliff on one side. But those sections are short, and there are not many of them. There is also a wet part along the trail, especially in summer, which is a waterfall from the mountain hitting the trail path. But it is very short distance, less than 6 feet and nothing special you need to prepare for, besides being cautious. 

Overall, this trail doesn’t have very steep inclines or any parts where you would need to scramble. We saw hikers of all ages along this trail. You can cut the trail short, to 8 miles, by taking a round trip boat ride across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. The 8-mile version is easier. 

Basic information of Grinnell Glacier Trail

• Trailhead: Many Glacier Hotel, Swiftcurrent Lake Trail
• Length: 11.2 miles without the boat ride
• Elevation Gain: 2,181 ft
• Difficulty Level: Hard
• Estimated Total Hiking Time: 6 hours 

The entrance to Grinnell Glacier Trail from Many Glacier Hotel starts at Swiftcurrent Lake Trail, just off the parking lot. Hikers may park at the hotel parking area. The parking area is free to everyone, not only to hotel guests. If you would like to take a boat ride, the ticket office is located near the dock behind Many Glacier Hotel. The boat shuttle offers both one-way and round-trip tickets. You can also plan ahead and purchase tickets online through Glacier Park Boat Company, they do have a flexible cancelation policy if your plans change. Each trip out or back only needs one ticket but includes a boat ride across Swiftcurrent Lake and a separate boat ride across Lake Josephine. You will need to get off the first boat and walk about 0.3 miles to another connecting boat before reaching the final dock. 

We hiked the trail along Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine out, and took a one-way boat ride on our way back to the parking lot. 

If you hike the Grinnell Glacier Trail from the trailhead without a boat ride, you will be walking along part of Swiftcurrent Lake Trail and North Shore Josephine Lake Trail. This part of the trail is an easy flat path along these two stunning alpine lakes, about 1.5 miles one-way. At a fork on North Shore Josephine Lake Trail, take the right fork and continue hiking on the Grinnell Glacier Trail. From here, you will start ascending the mountain. The incline on Grinnell Glacier Trail is gradual with very few small switchbacks. Most of the time, you will be hiking on an open path with jaw-dropping views of the surrounding mountains, the stunning aquamarine Grinnell Lake, and the magnificent glaciers hiding among the mountain peaks. 

Besides the views, you also have plenty of chances to see Mountain Goats and Bighorn Sheep at a close but safe distance, and sometimes, you may see a grizzly bear come across the trail.

Toward the end of Grinnell Glacier Trail, after a short, steep section with a few switchbacks, you will arrive at large pile of stones marking Grinnell Glacier lookout, which provides a view of Upper Grinnell Lake from a distance. From here, you are very close to Upper Grinnell Lake, a five-minute hike away. Once you arrive the end of the trail, the Upper Grinnell Lake is right in front of you. Take your time to explore and take in the views. It is a stunning turquoise lake carrying glacial icebergs and surrounded by majestic mountains. This is as close as you can get to the glaciers in the park. 

Plan to spend at least an hour at the Upper Grinnell Lake. The lake is large, you can walk down to the bank and walk to the other end.

Grinnell Glacier Trail is a marvelous hike. The entire hike will be filled with spectacular scenery, wildlife, meadows, waterfalls, and at the end of the trail, a splendid glacial lake. 

Tips for hiking Grinnell Glacier Trail

• Wear professional hiking boots
• Wear fast-dry clothes as you will get sweaty along the hike and the weather gets cooler and windier by the lakes
• Trekking poles can be very helpful. They take weight off your legs when going uphill and release some pressure on your knees going downhill.
• Pack enough water. We packed 3 liters of water each on this hike in early September and felt that it was more than enough. 2 to 2.5-liters of water per person should be enough for a not super-hot summer day.
• Pack lunch and snacks. We packed deli sandwiches, jerky and protein bars. Pack some candy that can immediately raise your blood sugar – this can be very helpful on a hike.
• Bring a first-aid kit. 
• Pack a light rain jacket as it gets chilly and windy at the lake. Not a rain poncho, instead, get an outdoor style water-resistant, wind-breaker jacket. 
• If you hike in the late fall when the weather is cooler, pack a hat, a neck gaiter, and gloves.
• Bring bear spray. Hiking in bear country, bear spray is your life insurance.
• If you use your mobile phone for navigation, download offline trail maps.
• Highly recommend bringing a battery bank. Offline trail navigation consumes a lot of battery. By late afternoon, our phone often had less than 20% of battery left.
• Bring sunscreen.
• Bring your camera or smart phone!

I hope this article motivates you to hike this trail. Have a great hike!