Grinnell Glacier, Montana, United States

5radx4 5:00 PM Jul 16, 2021

Must Do
There are many awesome views in Glacier National Park, but the most memorable of our trip was the hike to the Grinnell Glacier. the hike is fairly long and will take several hours depending upon how far you wish to go. But it is well worth the time and effort as it provides some of the most impressive views of lower Grinnell lake with it's emerald green waters and surrounding mountains and glaciers. Your hike will likely begin at the Many Glacier hotel at Swiftcurrent Lake. The start of the trail is actually paved for about the first mile. Following that there is a gradual incline along the north side of Josephine Lake. After that the trail curves around to the right and starts becoming more steep and narrow as Grinnel Lake comes into view. The hike can be a bit challenging at times. I highly recommend using hiking poles in places as there can be rocks and slippery areas. In late June there are areas that are still covered in snow. We encountered two such crossing at the time of our visit. Hiking poles are highly recommended for crossing these very slippery areas. Access to Upper Grinnell Lake was not possible at this time of year due to steep snowy areas, but you can still experience plenty of great views. If you can only do one thing at Glacier National Park, I recommend hiking up to Grinnell Glacier. Is a memorable hike with landscapes and beauty unlike anything else on Earth.

5Parker Duncan 5:00 PM Sep 21, 2020

Grinnell Glacier via Highline Trail (Logan Pass)
With Grinnell Glacier access restricted (Covid), we accessed via the Highline trail (Logan Pass visitor center), climbed to the Grinnell Overlook (via Garden Wall trail), and returned via the Loop trail (to the Loop parking lot for pickup). Highly recommend this route as Highline going back out is not only longer but harder and the loop is mostly downhill. The views on Highline after rain yesterday were amazing and perfectly clear. We saw a group of mountain goats, multiple bighorn sheep (on the trail), and a few marmot. The climb to the glacier was tough but definitely worth it. Recommend continuing climb to the saddle (see recording) to see all four lakes at the bottom rather than just looking into the glacier. Exiting via the Loop trail was great as it was mostly downhill. Would definitely do this again and highly recommend if wanting to see the glacier.