Best hikes in Glacier National Park

Our picks for the best hikes in Glacier are Grinnell Glacier, the Highline Trail, Iceberg Lake, Avalanche Lake and Hidden Lake Overlook, followed by six more walks.

On 5 November 2026 the park's alert said Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed for the season at Avalanche Creek on the west side and at Jackson Glacier Overlook on the east. That puts Highline, Hidden Lake Overlook and the Logan Pass end of Siyeh Pass out of reach by car until the road reopens. We read the figures below on 5 November 2026 on the park's trail pages and alert, the boat company's site and NOAA's normals. Our full Glacier National Park guide covers the road, lodging and the rest of the park.

Which are the best hikes in Glacier, in our order?

The order is ours. The park's pages on Glacier National Park hikes name no best hike and print no hours or difficulty ratings, so we give neither.

The park prints one-way distances only, and the climb in the table is its one-way figure. Our round trips double them, and we say so once here. The park's one stated snow-free rule for the high country is that passes and Continental Divide trails are typically snow free by late July. Of these hikes, the park names only Grinnell Glacier, Highline and Avalanche Lake as most popular, each with hundreds of hikers a day.

Which of Glacier's best hikes start from Logan Pass?

Three start at or run through Logan Pass: Hidden Lake Overlook, the Highline Trail and the Logan Pass end of Siyeh Pass. All three are closed to vehicles on 5 November 2026, because Logan Pass lies between the two ends of the seasonal closure.

Hidden Lake Overlook is 1.4 miles one way with 460 feet of climb. The park gives 1.2 miles more to the lake itself, dropping 780 feet from the overlook, so the climb back is yours. The park counted 1,604 hikers a day on this trail in 2017, and Logan Pass parking usually fills by sunrise.

The Highline Trail runs 7.6 miles to Granite Park Chalet with 800 feet of climb. The park says the path can be 3 to 5 feet wide in places, with a large drop on one side. A hand cable covers about 50 yards. The through version continues 4.2 miles down to The Loop, 11.8 miles by our sum, and needs a ride back. In 2026 a shuttle stopped at The Loop mainly for Highline hikers. On 22 June 2026, the day the road fully opened, the park said the Highline from Logan Pass was closed for snow.

For Siyeh Pass the park lists only two out-and-back figures, from the Piegan Pass Trailhead and from the Sunrift Gorge pullout. It gives no length for a crossing from Logan Pass.

Which of Glacier's best hikes start from Many Glacier?

Grinnell Glacier, Iceberg Lake and Cracker Lake start from Many Glacier, the valley on the park's east side. The park's pages on them date from 2016, so the figures are old.

Grinnell Glacier Viewpoint is 5.3 miles one way on foot with 1,600 feet of climb. The Iceberg Lake trail is 4.8 miles with 1,200 feet from the Iceberg Ptarmigan Trailhead. Cracker Lake is 6.4 miles with 1,400 feet from the south end of the Many Glacier Hotel parking lot. On 28 May 2026 a grizzly charged a hiker on the Grinnell Glacier Trail, and the park closed the trail. We found no later release saying it reopened.

The Many Glacier road closes the third weekend of November, weather permitting, which is 21 and 22 November 2026 by our count. On 5 November no alert closed it, and no page we read confirmed it was open. Many Glacier Hotel opens 3 June to 20 September 2027.

How do the boats shorten the Grinnell Glacier hike?

The boats shorten the Grinnell Glacier hike by carrying hikers across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. That cuts the walk from 5.3 miles one way to 3.6 and keeps the 1,600 feet of climb. By our doubling that is 7.2 miles round trip instead of 10.6. We print the park's mileage only.

The Glacier Park Boat Company, the park's concessioner, shows no 2026 boats: its pages read "Closed for 2026, book now for 2027!". The 2027 round trip is $43.10 for an adult and $21.55 for a child aged 4 to 12. It runs 1 July to 19 September 2027, with some departures from 11 June. The 1.5-hour tour has a steep 0.2-mile walk between the lakes. The company says it books out months ahead and takes reservations until 5 p.m. the day before.

Which easy walks suit a short stop in Glacier?

Trail of the Cedars, Sun Point and St. Mary Falls are the walks for a short stop. The Cedars trail is 0.7 mile one way and accessible to wheelchairs, though the park does not say whether it is a loop. The Sun Point Nature Trail is 0.8 mile one way and loses 250 feet from the Sunrift Gorge pullout, so the climb comes on the way back.

St. Mary Falls is 1.2 miles one way from its trailhead and drops 260 feet. Virginia Falls lies 0.6 mile beyond. The west closure sits at Avalanche Creek. No page we read says whether the Avalanche Picnic Area or the east-side pullouts can be reached on 5 November.

Which Glacier hikes climb hardest for each mile?

The steepest hikes on this page, by climb per mile, are Siyeh Pass from Sunrift Gorge, Scenic Point and Apgar Lookout. We divide the park's one-way climb by its one-way miles, which is our arithmetic and not a park rating.

The Highline to Granite Park Chalet climbs about 105 feet a mile by the same sum. Scenic Point sits in Two Medicine, where the park plans a road closure at Highway 49. It says the road work is scheduled to finish late 2027, possibly running into 2028. The park's alert carries no Two Medicine item on 5 November, so we cannot say whether that closure is in force.

What should a 2027 hiker check first?

A 2027 hiker should check the park's reservation, shuttle and Logan Pass parking pages first, because none of them is published for 2027. In 2026 the park required no vehicle reservations. From 1 July to 7 September 2026 it ran a $1 ticketed Logan Pass shuttle and a three-hour parking limit at Logan Pass. Treat those as last year's rules.

Going-to-the-Sun Road is usually fully open by early July, and in 2026 it opened on 22 June. Even then Highline was shut by snow. The park describes high trails as typically snow free by late July and says Grinnell Glacier is not fully reachable until mid to late July. NOAA has no normals station at Logan Pass. At West Glacier, 3,148 feet up, the 1991–2020 July normal is a high of 80.2°F and a low of 49.6°F. At St Mary, 4,560 feet up, it is 75.0°F and 46.1°F. The park says it is generally 10 to 15°F cooler higher up.

There is no phone signal outside Apgar and St. Mary, so download the maps before you leave.

Is bear spray required on Glacier's trails?

Bear spray is advised, not required, in the park pages we read. The park says to carry it and calls it the most effective deterrent, and no page makes it mandatory. The 100-yard distance from bears and wolves is a rule, and the park says no attack on a group of four or more has been reported there. It says bear bells are not adequate.

What does hiking in Glacier cost in November?

Hiking in Glacier costs $25 a car in November, the winter rate from 1 November to 30 April, plus $100 for each non-resident aged 16 or over. Two adults from abroad in one car pay $225 until 30 April 2027, and the park takes no cash. Our guide to national park fees for international visitors covers the $250 pass.