Glacier National Park is one of the most beautiful places in the country, and many first-time visitors are spellbound by it.
Although you could spend an entire summer there and never grow tired of it, reality is that life might grant you just one day there, at least on your first visit.
So here’s a long day filled with plenty of great things to see and do that will leave you longing to return!
Get Up to Logan Pass Very Early
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Logan Pass is on the Continental Divide and is the crest of the park’s east-west byway, Going-to-the-Sun Road. To get a parking spot here, you need to arrive really early or get really lucky. This means arriving no later than 7 A.M., and sometimes that’s not early enough. (Sunrise in the summer here can be before 5 A.M.)
Hike to Hidden Lake Overlook
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From Logan Pass, hike the trail/boardwalk system to Hidden Lake Overlook, about 1.5 miles each way. This route crosses through alpine tundra which, where the snow has melted, will be blooming with colorful, delicate wildflowers. Views on the way to and from the overlook are stunning, and you’ll also likely see mountain goats and bighorn sheep.
Walk Up Lunch Creek
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Descend from Logan Pass to the east. At a major hairpin bend in the road, you’ll see a stream tumbling down and a small parking area, and there’s a sign naming the stream as Lunch Creek. Hike a short way up a spider webbing trail system to a pretty waterfall in a gorgeous alpine setting. The parking area also serves as overflow parking for Logan Pass even though it’s about a mile away, so if the lot is full and nothing opens up after a few minutes, just keep going. There’s another short waterfall hike farther down the road.
Sunrift Gorge
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Sunrift Gorge features a mountain stream tumbling through a narrow gorge composed of red rocks. Although the start of the hike is an uphill jaunt through forest, you soon reach the gorge itself. Go as far as you like before turning around. If you were unable to park at Lunch Creek, consider a hike to St. Mary Falls. The trailhead is literally just up the road, and you can just walk to it. The round-trip hike is only about a mile.
Hang Out at St. Mary Lake
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St. Mary Lake is the second-largest lake in the park. There are many turnouts with scenic views of the lake, and some allow direct shore access. The eastern side of the park is frequently very breezy, and this creates an effect with whitecaps and small ocean-like waves.
Do Some Bear Watching
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Many people who go to Glacier hope to see a bear, especially a grizzly bear since they’re only found in a handful of U.S. states. After exiting the park’s eastern entrance, drive north to Many Glacier Valley. The two best hikes in the park– Iceberg Lake and Grinnell Glacier– are here, but you won’t have time for them on a one-day visit unless you cross several other items off this list. Instead, engage in some safe and relaxing bear watching from the outdoor deck of the historic Many Glacier Hotel. Enjoy a cold drink or some lunch as you scan the slopes across the road for foraging bears.
Take a Boat Tour on Two Medicine Lake
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Next, drive south to the park’s Two Medicine area. As you enter, do the very short hike to Running Eagle Falls if you have time. At road’s end, you reach the shores of Two Medicine Lake, where you can go on a boat tour and learn more about the beautiful surroundings. It’s a really good idea to make reservations beforehand.
Visit the Historic Glacier Park Lodge
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Just south of Two Medicine in the town of East Glacier Park, the historic Glacier Park Lodge was built in 1913 by a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway. The Great Northern built several hotels in and near Glacier National Park with the goal of promoting travel to the park by rail, and the Glacier Park Lodge was the first of them. It’s an impressive structure and worth a visit to admire the architecture and maybe stop in at the gift shop.
Drive to West Glacier
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Now it’s time to explore the western side of the park a bit. To do that, drive west from East Glacier Park on U.S. Highway 2 to West Glacier. Along the way, you’ll have views of the lesser-explored peaks of southern Glacier National Park and of the Middle Fork Flathead River. There may be wildlife sightings as well, especially at Goat Lick, a spot right off the highway where mountain goats and other wildlife come to lick mineral deposits to replenish their sodium levels.
Check Out Lake McDonald
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Almost immediately after you go in through the western entrance, you’ll reach Lake McDonald, the park’s largest, longest, and deepest lake. It’s more serene and less spectacular than St. Mary Lake is but still beautiful, and there are a lot of places where you can have a little piece of shore all to yourself.
Hike the Trail of the Cedars
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Before Going-to-the-Sun Road begins its long climb to Logan Pass, you’ll see a trailhead for the Trail of the Cedars. It’s a short, easy loop through a grove of massive Western red cedar trees. If you’re doing well on time, it’s an easy hike and not too much extra distance to see scenic Avalanche Lake.
Return to Logan Pass for Sunset
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Finally, return at day’s end to Logan Pass for the beautiful views and colors at sunset. It’ll still be pretty busy, but it’ll be way less mobbed than it is for most of the day. You should have trouble finding a parking spot at this time.
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