Hey Lisa,

Good on you for knocking off such a great eight days of hiking. Glacier is incomparable. I’m delighted you used this story as your guide. Keep in touch.

Hi Madison,

Thanks for the nice words about my blog, I really appreciate that.

1. Glacier’s snow won’t usually melt out of the high country enough to make backpacking feasible until around mid-July. That can vary year to year, but July 5-8 is not usually a good bet. You’ll see that many backcountry camps are not even open for reservation that early in summer.

2. You are correct, as I mention above.

3. I’m recalling this from memory and checking a few photos but I’m pretty sure the Grinnell Glacier is largely obscured by mountains from Piegan Pass, which makes sense because it sits in a cirque of sorts. To hike up to Grinnell Lake and the toe of the receding Grinnell Glacier from the Piegan Pass Trail would add at least six miles round-trip and more than 2,000 feet both up and down. See the park trail and backcountry campsites map at nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/upload/Backcountry-Map-Web-2018.pdf.

4. The inn and lodge and campground at Many Glacier probably booked up months ago. It’s one inherent conflict when applying for a backcountry permit: You don’t know if and when you’ll need lodging or camping in the park until it’s too late to book lodging. Walk-in backcountry permits will likely be the only option for spending the night there this summer.

Grinnell Glacier is a rigorous hike. Piegan Pass is more spread out, and a good trail, but it’s long. I think it becomes a huge day to combine Grinnell Glacier with Piegan Pass. I’d recommend hiking the trail to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook from the Highline Trail south of Granite Park: It’s very steep but just a mile and about 1,000 feet one-way to an awesome viewpoint, much easier than the detour to the glacier itself.

Good luck with your permit application!

Thank you so much for responding and for reaching out directly. First, I’ll just say that I love your blog and it is a go-to for me to learn about off the beaten path hikes and backpacks. I love how you always include hikes for all levels of accessibility, ability, and mileage. It is just really well done, all around, and so poetic in how you describe these amazing places.

Second- great food for thought on your comment! My few follow up questions (if alright with you) are:

1. Do you know what conditions and snowpack are generally like around July 5-8?
2. If on the reservation page for backcountry permits it says that a sit opens on a certain date, is it not reservable before then (or not advisable to go- for example Lake Ellen Wilson opens 8/1)
3. Are you able to see Grinnell Glacier from Piegan Pass? If not, how much more mileage would it add to visit? I am hiking with someone who probably maxes out at 14-15 miles/day. And I don’t want to push him into being too uncomfortable!
4. If we don’t get a spot at Many Glacier to camp tomorrow with the permit crazy rush (I think there are 4 backcountry spots?), is there another option or is walking in our bst bet? Seems like the lodge is full.

If we were miraculously able to get a spot at Many Glacier, then it would be about 14.7 one way through Swiftcurrent +/1 1.2 for the spur to Grinnell Overlook (long day for my fiancee, we will see if he’s game) and then 12.5 or so back? Would it be possible to visit the glacier itself as part of this? How is Piegan Pass on the way up?

Thanks again for your help! We are so excited and again, I really love your writing.

Hi Madison,

Well, you’re considering three of the most amazing hikes in Glacier so those are all great choices. Gunsight Pass Trail is in forest for a few miles at each end, and you’ll spend much less time in forest on the Highline to Many Glacier or the Piegan Pass Trail to Many Glacier. Personally, I’d hike on day one from Logan up the Highline and over Swiftcurrent pass down to Many Glacier; then the next day, hike over Piegan Pass back to Siyeh Bend and catch the shuttle bus back to your vehicle. No car permit needed.

Have a great trip.

Good list, thanks Jerry.

Boulder Pass from Bowman

Two Medicine Pass

Goat Haunt from Bowman

Grace Lake

Bowman/Quartz loop

I’m sure that anyone would count a day like that among their best ever. Thanks for sharing that great story, Matt.

You’re welcome, Jeff, enjoy the hike, it’s a great one.

Thanks, Mauricio. You should read my stories “Descending the Food Chain: Backpacking Glacier National Park’s Northern Loop” and “Wildness All Around You: Backpacking the CDT Through Glacier.” While those are both long trips, around 90 miles each, there are shorter variations of those routes that are possible, too, which the trip-planning information at the end of each story explains. Both do require a subscription to read in full.

I’ve also published downloadable e-guides that provide much more-detailed information about planning those two trips. My e-guide “The Best Backpacking Trip in Glacier National Park” covers that Northern Loop hike, and my e-guide “Backpacking the Continental Divide Trail Through Glacier National Park” describes the CDT hike. Both e-guides also describe shorter variations of those trips.

If you want my personalized help figuring out the best backpacking trip in Glacier (or anywhere) for you and planning the details, see my Custom Trip Planning page for info on how I can do that for you.

Thanks for the question!

Thanks, Tam. I hope you get back to Glacier soon.

Tam

Hi Scott,

Starting at Many Glacier obviously involves more uphill and is harder, but there are other pros and cons to both. I think the biggest pro to starting at Logan Pass is that you’re most likely to see wildlife like mountain goats and especially bighorn sheep with an early start on the Highline Trail (from Logan Pass), before there are many other hikers on it. But I wouldn’t hike in the dark because of the chance of a nighttime encounter with grizzlies (plus, you can’t see any views). The morning light when you start from Many Glacier is certainly really pretty, too, but the really scenic upper section of that trail, as you’re climbing toward Swiftcurrent Pass, is also spectacular at any time of day. I’d start from Logan Pass when I do it again.

As for total time, that depends, of course, on your pace. The trails are quite good and well graded, so many moderately fit hikers could maintain a pace of two mph or better, with the slowest section probably the steeper part of the uphill to Swiftcurrent Pass if you’re coming from Many Glacier; I’d plan an hour or more longer hiking in that direction. And it’s 15 miles, so even with lots of photo-taking and gawking, eight hours or less isn’t hard to accomplish. If you make the very worthy side trip to Grinnell Glacier Overlook, that’s a consistently steeper and slower trail.

Good luck.

Great blog! I’m going to be spending a few days in Glacier Park towards the end of August and was planning on making the Logan Pass to Many Glacier hike the highlight of the trip. I see that you have done that hike in both directions, but was wondering roughly how long it took to complete them? And which direction you prefer? Starting at Many Glacier seems more difficult, but I think I would prefer the lighting a bit better. Wanted to get your thoughts since I will have to plan accordingly to catch the various shuttles.

Thanks,
Scott

I want to do them! Thanks for the suggestions.

1) I did Ahern pass from the loop, but also bagged Ahern peak and Swiftcurrent Peak during the day. Very very long day, but very special!

2) Triple divide peak and norris mountain from cut bank in a day.

3) Mount helen, flinsch peak, and rising wolf all in a day from two medicine campground, first hiking up to dawson pass.