Day Hikes in Glacier National Park

Shuttle Service started July 1, 2010.
Stops September 6, 2010

First Shuttle up is at 7:00 AM
Last Shuttle down from Logan Pass
is at 7:00 pm

Due to budget cuts the Glacier Shuttle (I can't call it a hikers shuttle anymore due to the shorter hours) for 2010 operates from 7 am to 7 pm. In 2007 it operated from 7 am to 9:30 pm. As a result the Glacier Shuttle is no longer a viable option for long hikes. Shuttle Service starts on July 1st. The Going to the Sun Road will be closed after 9 pm during the summer between Big Bend and Logan Pass, except for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights! Plan accordingly.

Within each day hike guide section there is a brief description of the trails elevation gain, distance and degree of difficulty. For most of the trails that I have hiked there is a more detailed web page with further details regarding the hike, together with photographs taken along the hike. The winter of 2009 - 2010 was a low snow year, so unless Glacier gets a lot of spring snow the lower elevation trails should open fairly early. As I write this on the 26th of June the sun has finally peeked through the clouds and for the moment the rains have stopped.

Be sure to stop at one of the visitor centers in the park, East Glacier Visitor Center is open till 8 pm West Glacier Visitor Center closes at 5 pm. Ask for the 'Day Hikes in Glacier' and the "Ranger-Led Activity Schedule'. 'Day Hikes in Glacier' contains trail maps and info regarding 68 hikes in the park. Ranger-Led Activity Schedule gives the times and locations for some 20 Ranger-Led hikes in the park plus other ranger-guided activity. YOU have to ask for these guides by name, usually they are available at the entrance stations. (starting in 2010 most entrance stations have the guide)

Going to the Sun Road opened for the season on June 24, 2010, only open for 24 hour operation on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Monday through Thursday the Going to The Sun Road closes at 9 pm and reopens at 7 am between Big Bend and Logan Pass. Glacier National Park is a hikers park. The day hikes in Glacier Park vary from easy to brutal. Luckily there are plenty of day hikes that fall in between. One of the things I've discovered over the last twenty years of hiking in Glacier is how many people return year after year to hike these mountains. Of the National Parks that I have hiked, Glacier National Park has the best trail system for day hikes. With the advent in 2007 of the free park shuttle service, hiking on trails that start at one trailhead and end at another has gotten much easier logistically. Note: Shuttle stops at 7 pm in 2010 so long hikes are trickier when using the shuttle.

The hiking season for Glacier National Park is fairly short. 2010 will join 2008 as a short season high altitude hiking season. Many popular trails didn't open until late July and some of those still had significant snow cover. The actual length of the hiking season varies from year to year based on snow accumulation from the previous winter. Lower elevation trails become accessible to hiking sometime in April. The trails will usually be very wet in early spring and frequently will have dead falls across the trail from winter storm activity. The benefits of starting early are early wildflowers plus un peopled trails that can be enjoyed in solitude. If you combine biking with hiking then your options are even greater for spring hiking. The park starts plowing Going to the Sun Road April 1st and restricts traffic on the newly plowed sections of the road to bicycles and pedestrians. On the west side of Glacier National Park the road is plowed and open all year to Lake McDonald Lodge. The parking area for Lake McDonald Lodge is next to the trailhead for several west sides hikes. On the east side of Glacier National Park the road is open to St Mary campground, which is open year round. On the east side the Going to the Sun Road is currently open to Rising Sun as of April 4, 2010

The hiking season for Glacier National Park for higher elevation trails is much shorter. Trails that start or go above 6,000 feet usually have snow until early July. It can snow any time during the summer but these trails tend to be open from early July till late September. Some years I'm able to hike at the upper elevations until mid October. Many of the day hikes in Glacier National Park are very crowded. Most of the crowds don't get on the trails until midday. For the longer hikes an early start is essential but it can be of equal benefit on the shorter trails if you are looking for tranquility.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”     Mark Twain