Glacier National Park

Many Glacier

Hiking is the main draw in this part of the park, where trails climb toward a glacier and mountain lakes. The Grinnell Glacier Trail is a strenuous climb into the mountains that brings you close to the glacier itself, with wildlife and wide views along the way. The Iceberg Lake Trail is another popular route nearby, and the hike to Cracker Lake leads to a backcountry campsite. To take in the mountain scenery from the water, join the Many Glacier boat tour. The Many Glacier Hotel offers rustic lodging beside Swiftcurrent Lake. Keep watch for wildlife, including grizzly bears, which live throughout the region.

St. Mary

Just inside the east entrance near the community of St. Mary, this valley holds St. Mary Lake. The St. Mary Visitor Center makes a practical first stop, with rangers to help plan trips, a park film, and exhibits on the area's Native American history. Many hikers head for St. Mary Falls and its vivid blue water, a short walk that drops about 260 feet and can continue to Virginia Falls and Baring Falls. A 2015 wildfire, the Reynolds Creek Fire, left the trail with little shade but wide mountain views. Trailhead parking is limited, so many hikers ride the park shuttle. The longer trail to Red Eagle Lake begins at the 1913 Ranger Station. Motorized and non-motorized boats both use the lake, and St. Mary Campground, the largest on the east side, sits among aspens nearby.

Two Medicine

Reached by its own entrance just northwest of East Glacier Park, this valley on the east side draws fewer visitors than the park's busier corridors, and its trails feel remote and peaceful. At the valley's west end, Two Medicine Lake sits high among steep peaks, with scenic boat cruises and boat rentals on the water. Day hikes are plentiful. Short walks lead to Appistoki, Aster and Running Eagle Falls, the last on an accessible trail, while experienced hikers can link Dawson Pass and Pitamakan Pass into a long all-day loop from the North Shore Trailhead. Beaver and moose habitat surrounds the route to Aster Falls. Two Medicine Campground offers 100 sites, mostly shaded with some privacy, and the area has a camp store. In winter, skiers follow the unplowed Two Medicine Road toward Running Eagle Falls and the lake.

Logan Pass

At 6,646 feet, this is where Going-to-the-Sun Road crosses the Continental Divide, the highest point on the road and the highest spot in the park you can reach by car. Reynolds Mountain and Clements Mountain rise above alpine meadows that bloom all summer, starting with yellow glacier lilies that emerge as the snow melts. Watch the meadows for mountain goats and bighorn sheep, and now and then a grizzly. Both the Hidden Lake Trail and the Highline Trail start here. Hidden Lake Overlook is 1.5 miles out, and the lake itself is 3 miles. The Logan Pass Visitor Center has rangers, a bookstore and exhibits on subalpine plants and animals, with more displays outside on geology and climate change. Parking fills early, and the free shuttle offers a way around the limited lot.

North Fork

In the park's northwest corner, this is a remote, rugged area where private vehicles are the only way in, over rough, single-lane gravel roads with limited amenities and no cell service. Flat tires are frequent, so bring four-wheel or all-wheel drive and know how to change one. Polebridge, a small community just beyond the park boundary, holds the only nearby services. Bowman and Kintla Lakes are the main destinations, each with a first-come, first-served campground, and Logging Creek and Quartz Creek add more. Day hikes lead to Akokala Lake, Quartz Lake and the heads of Bowman and Kintla Lakes. Its name comes from the North Fork of the Flathead River, which follows much of the western edge. Burned forests show succession in action, homestead sites recall early settlers, and rare wildlife may be seen or heard.

Goat Haunt

Tucked against the south end of Waterton Lake, this remote corner sits at the international border with Canada. Many visitors arrive on scenic boat cruises from Waterton Townsite. Others walk in on an 8.5-mile trail from the townsite or reach it on overnight backpacking trips from elsewhere in the park. The Goat Haunt Ranger Station stands on the lakeshore, where rangers provide information and Customs and Border Protection officers are posted. Anyone continuing past this point across the border needs a passport or other approved documentation. From the shore, Mount Olson rises as the prominent peak, with the Sentinel farther back to its left. Apart from the cruises, there are no services here, so bring what you need.

Apgar

At the south end of Lake McDonald, this cluster of developed areas sits in dense forest on the park's west side, linked by Camas Road, Apgar Loop Road and a paved bike path. Lakefront Apgar Village has a camp store, gift shops, restaurants, an interactive Nature Center and a Wilderness Permit Center, plus watercraft and bicycle rentals. Apgar Visitor Center, about two miles from the West Entrance, has rangers to help with trip planning and serves as the west-side hub for the Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttle. Apgar Campground is the park's largest, and its amphitheater hosts ranger-led evening programs and Native America Speaks talks. In snow, skiers can take the Apgar Lookout trail, which starts easy before climbing steeply to views from the lookout.

Rising Sun

This stretch of the east side sits where the mountains meet the prairies, halfway along St. Mary Lake and just west of St. Mary. The Rising Sun Motor Inn offers lodging and a restaurant, with a camp store, gift shop and showers close by. Rising Sun Campground has 84 sites, some open to the breeze and others tucked among trees for shade, and mornings bring sunrises framed by Red Eagle Mountain. Plenty of parking makes this a common starting point for riding the Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttle, and the campground works well as a base for day hikes east of Logan Pass. The Otokomi Lake Trail begins beside the camp store, crossing meadows on its way to an alpine lake. Glacier Park Boat Co. also offers scenic boat cruises and boat rentals here.