But from here, you need to keep on going forward and rising.Įventually, you’ll arrive at a final few switchbacks and come up to a viewpoint looking at the Cirque surrounding Upper Grinnell Lake. Below you on your left, Grinnell Lake is fed by Grinnell Creek and Angel Wing rising above the Lake. Stop to take it all in! On your left is Mt Grinnell straight ahead is the Garden Wall and above is the Salamander Glacier – which you can get to from a spur on the Highline Trail. The path across the ledges is stunning, but please don’t lose focus of your feet. Be very careful if you have kids, we don’t suggest taking any youngsters through this if it is flowing. You’re going to get wet if it is, so be safe and be prepared. At approximately 5.8 km from the start you may be confronted with a waterfall discharging right onto the path. Have a look at the photos to get a feel for the path. Your route is carved out of the ledges – and it is exhilarating – but can make those with vertigo nervous. You’ll notice the trail gets rougher as it rises, with some points feeling decidedly airy!Īt this point, you may be wondering where the trail went, as it looks like a rock wall is blocking the trail. The last time we hiked this trail it was closed partway up due to lingering snow, but thankfully the tireless Glacier staff were out with ice axes cutting paths for us, and we were able to get to the top. The trail going forward will often have some late season snow. This is merely an amuse bouche, however, as the main course that will be served once you’re at the viewpoint is why you’ve taken this hike in the first place. It is especially stunning in early or late-day light!Īs you rise, the scenery continues to open up ahead, with parts of the glacier visible. From here the trail starts to climb, and the higher you get, the better the views back across the valleys, with mixtures of blues, greens and greys. Note that the boat dock is down and across on the other side of the lake – a lengthy commute. At roughly 3.1 km from the start, you connect with a trail down to the boat dock. The trail hugs Lake Josephine for the next 1.5 km, and you get wonderful views across this stunning lake up to Allen Mountain. Here, some tourists who are on the boat tour may join you – they’ll have to walk 984ft over a hump to catch the next boat on Lake Josephine. At 1.0 km, you’ll pass the Boat Dock and come to a crumbling paved section. Another 250 m and you are down by the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake, looking back at the beautiful Many Glacier Hotel. There is a beautiful view here up the river to the Flanks and peak of Mt. You start off on a well-maintained path in the trees, arriving at a bridge across Swiftcurrent Creek after only 400 m. In Many Glacier there are options to park on the road near the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn or in their parking lot. The parking lot gets full, like almost all parking lots in Glacier, between 9am and 4pm each day. If you’re lucky, you stayed in one of these hotels the night before and got to soak up the atmosphere of this incredible area at dawn and dusk. With that said, we’ve met people who swear by the boats.įor walkers, start at the Grinnell Glacier parking lot in between Many Glacier Hotel and Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. Frankly, we’re not so convinced – mostly due to the hassle of coordinating a ticket, getting to the boat on time, the transfer between boats and the hike up the other side to rejoin the trail. Some people suggest taking the boats across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine to save time. To be clear, there is no need to use your hands and the trail is wide, however, we found ourselves walking close to the rock wall to be on the safe side. We don’t recommend taking young children or people who have strong aversions to exposure on this hike. However, there are some challenging bits, some narrow pathways and early in the season a dangerous walk on stones through a waterfall, where you will get wet. In good weather, this route is a wonderful day trip. We love the Grinnell Glacier trail! What a view, what a hike, what a day. Route Description for Grinnell Glacier Trail
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