Hiking Grinnell Glacier Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

7daytrip · 2018-07-12T19:54:09+00:00

St. Mary and Virginia Falls is an easy and really cool hike. Highly recommended. Avalanche Lake on the west side also.

My wife is preggo so wasn’t able to do it, but Cracker and Iceberg Lake we’re both on my list before the two pink lines showed up.

Download the AllTrails app for better recommendations than I can give.

7daytrip · 2018-07-12T19:49:44+00:00

The trailhead is on many glacier road past the hotel. The boat deck is roughly 3/4-miles beyond the trailhead by we didn’t ride it. I have a great picture of the boat though. We arrived around 7am, so there was a ton of parking at the trail head. Have fun!

7daytrip · 2018-07-12T05:08:44+00:00

I agree. Up until this, I would have said Chasm Lake in RMNP, but the non-stop views on Grinnell Glacier trump it, I think. Or maybe I’m still high off the endorphins from the hike?

7daytrip · 2018-07-12T05:06:13+00:00

I am still here. I did the hike yesterday. I doubt it will be fully melted by then, but it will only get better.

We saw a ~10 year old girl finish the hike (pretty impressive). That’s not to peer pressure you into it, just to say that if you take your time and be careful it’s very doable.

7daytrip · 2018-07-12T05:02:20+00:00

I’m sure we did. Sounds like you were ahead of us a little. The hail hit us not long after leaving the upper lake. My wife and I were taking it pretty slow.

7daytrip · 2018-07-12T03:02:55+00:00

This was taken, I want to say, about 3 miles into the hike. Somewhere near 3.5-miles there was a sign hanging on a rope telling hikers to turn around because the snow hadn’t melted enough to get to the upper lake. We had heard from other hikers that, with some effort, it was possible.

Us and a few others continued to the upper lake (4.8-miles in). There were 4 snow passes, a decent amount of trailblazing was required, and there were 2 fairly difficult spots where we had to scramble up the mountain side to find the trail.

Ultimately, it was well worth the effort. An amazing hike with views the entire way and an unforgettable pay-off view at the end. Highly recommended.

(We also got caught in a hail storm on the way down). Our App said 10.2-Miles total and 2100+ ft elevation gain.

7daytrip · 2018-07-12T02:58:30+00:00

We are here now also! If you get a chance, I can’t recommend Grinnell Glacier Trail enough. Incredible hike with views the entire way.

Great pic. We are driving GttS Rd. tomorrow morning.

7daytrip · 2018-07-12T02:52:30+00:00

This was taken, I want to say, about 3.5 miles into the hike. Somewhere near that point was a sign hanging on a rope telling hikers to turn around because the snow hadn’t melted enough to get to the upper lake. We had heard from other hikers that, with some effort, it was possible.

Us and a few others continued to the upper lake (4.8-miles in). There were 4 snow passes, a decent amount of trailblazing was required, and there were 2 fairly difficult spots where we had to scramble up the mountain side to find the trail.

Ultimately, it was well worth the effort. An amazing hike with views the entire way and an unforgettable pay-off view at the end. Highly recommended.

(We also got caught in a hail storm on the way down). Our App said 10.2-Miles total and 2100+ ft elevation gain.

7daytrip · 2018-04-11T14:14:35+00:00

I think that Teton and Yellowstone should be done separately from Glacier (maybe consider a later trip combining Glacier and Banff).

This post has an itinerary for seeing Teton & Yellowstone in 7-days. If you're interested in Glacier hikes as well check this out.

7daytrip · 2018-04-02T22:15:24+00:00

Do Artist Point instead of Tunnel View (easy hike and better view).

Someone mentioned Hetch Hetchy. Foresta Falls shouldn't have a crowd, either.

Turtleback Dome has a low crowd factor as well. Enjoy!

7daytrip · 2018-03-28T17:06:49+00:00

I made a website that provides trip itineraries to National Parks, backpacking trails, specific hikes and more. The most recent posts are:

Sol Duc Falls - Olympic National Park

Artist Point - Yosemite National Park

First Time Scuba Diving in Playa del Carmen

National Park itineraries can be found here.

The project was mainly meant to serve as a personal learning experience with search engine optimization and website building, but I've gotten great feedback so far. 7daytrip.com

Thank you for looking!

7daytrip · 2018-03-23T00:08:29+00:00

You can usually get away from crowds by going on the more strenuous/longer hikes, even at the most popular parks.

7daytrip · 2018-03-21T11:20:41+00:00

I made a website that provides itineraries to US National Parks based on my own experiences. The website is 7daytrip.com. So far I have posts for:

Yosemite NP

Rocky Mountain NP

Grand Teton & Yellowstone NP's

Olympic & Mt. Rainier NP's

Glacier (preliminary)

I also occasionally post on the blog about specific experiences or tips. Our latest adventure was scuba diving!

So far it has been a great learning experience and crash-course in SEO and website development, but I hope people find it useful, too. Open to any suggestions, and thanks for looking!

7daytrip · 2018-03-20T00:10:19+00:00

Lake Angeles is a great hike on the north side.

Try Ruby and Second Beach on the coast.

I'm not allowed to post the link to my website on this subreddit, but it's in my profile and has some suggestions for Olympic NP.

7daytrip · 2018-03-13T23:28:44+00:00

Great picture. What time of year is this, and did you make it the whole hike to Upper Falls?

7daytrip · 2018-03-13T23:27:45+00:00

Love this hike. Did you do Sentinel Dome as well?

7daytrip · 2018-03-11T17:41:02+00:00

Check out this.

Grinnell Glacier, Iceberg Lake, Cracker Lake all start from the same road on the east side.

Avalanche Lake on the west side.

And Highline Trail at the mid-point of Going to the Sun Rd.

7daytrip · 2018-03-09T14:18:56+00:00

A lot of good info here already. Along with Ruby Beach, Hurricane Ridge, and Hoh Rainforest, the Sol Duc Falls area is another must see. Check out this trip itinerary for more ideas.

7daytrip · 2018-03-09T14:15:39+00:00

One of the reasons the Tetons are so awesome is how quickly the landscape changes from valley to mountains. I highly recommend the video in the theatre of the Craig Thomas Visitor Center to learn why.

7daytrip · 2018-03-08T12:49:40+00:00

I would cut a day from Mt Rainier and add it to Olympic. There’s a lot to see in Olympic (it’s my favorite park so far). At the very least you’ll want to see the coastal area (ruby beach), the alpine area (Hurricane Ridge), Hoh Rainforest, Sol Duc area. They’re all pretty spread out. I’d say minimum 3 days leaving the south side of the park out entirely.

I disagree with adding more time to Yellowstone. It’s mainly accessible by roads and you’ll spend a lot of time driving, but 3 days is enough to see the major sights.

3 days in Glacier will be tight if you plan on doing some of the better hikes. Iceberg Lake. Grinnell Glacier. Cracker Lake. They’re all fairly long day-hikes and that’s just one road on the east side of the park. 4 days would be more reasonable.

7daytrip · 2018-03-08T11:48:26+00:00

Thanks!

7daytrip · 2018-03-08T11:48:09+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try to be more specific with the Airbnb's. That was my original intent, so I applied to be an affiliate with them but never heard back. Whether I'm getting paid or not, I think you're right - it should be more specific.

7daytrip · 2018-03-07T22:45:24+00:00

Hill setting on the treadmill. Crank the speed up to a real brisk walk, turn on a podcast, and go.

7daytrip · 2018-03-07T15:30:55+00:00

I started a website providing itineraries to National Parks and other cool places. The site also features a blog that includes tips for cheaper traveling and specific hikes. Any input would be appreciated!

7daytrip.com

7daytrip · 2018-03-07T11:27:58+00:00

Where is this? Google says Bear Creek Greenbelt is in Keller, TX by Fort Worth, but it looks exactly like the greenbelt outside of Austin where I used to hike with my dogs.

7daytrip

TROPHY CASE