Grinnell Glacier Trailhead — Attraction in West Glacier

We got up at 4:30 A.M. to make sure we got a parking spot at Many Glacier Hotel, which is a National Historic Hotel of America, to hike to Grinnell Glacier. Make sure to use the bathroom at the hotel and bring PLENTY of water and snacks. My husband and I have never drank so much water on our hikes before. We brought 9 bottles and drank all of them by the time the hike ended and normally we drink 4-6 bottles total. We could have easily drank more, but wanted to make sure we had enough for the trip. We also brought sandwiches, granola bars, sunscreen, and bear spray due to the trail heavily being used by bears and the trail being exposed in the sun for 80+% of the time.

The first 0.9 miles is ADA accessible since it is paved. We clocked 13+ miles of hiking even though the sign says it's only 5.3 miles one way with an elevation gain of 2,596 feet. It was rough. Mainly due to having to make sure you pick up your feet high enough for each step due to all the rocks on the trail. We were being tripped up by them several times throughout the hike and saw many others almost take a tumble. We did bring our poles, which we used and we stretched the morning of. However, when we were hiking back, that is usually my time to shine. Descending on a hike I find so easy and able to do efficiently, but this time, my feet, knees, lower back, and ankles were sore. I've never dealt with sore ankles on a hike before, but it was probably from all the balancing on the small rocks you have to step on. There are log steps, and steep stone stairs on this trail. Along the trail, you hike beside Swiftcurrent Lake, Lake Josephine, which I highly recommend going to the dock area to feast your eyes on the beautiful reflection in the lake with the mountains and pine trees, and then you start to go up the mountainside and can see Grinnell Lake below before you get to Upper Grinnell Lake. Honestly, we enjoyed the views of the 3 lakes from above more than we enjoyed the final destination. This could be because we did Alaska recently and have seen a bunch of glaciers and even did a 3 hour hike on one, so the views there were better. Still, if you've never hiked to a glacier, I am sure you will be blown away because a girl, probably in her early 20s, said to us, "this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!" We were so happy for her! It is COLD up there, so bring winter gloves, a beanie, and a hoodie to help with the cold. Luckily, we came prepared. This hike took us about 7.5 hours. We took a lot of breaks.

Wildlife sightings: Right before getting to Lake Josephine, there was a HUGE bull moose and cow moose a little off the trail in the woods. We might have missed it if people weren't taking pictures. We couldn't believe the size and heard the female moose whining. Then we saw a mountain goat on the way back from Grinnell Glacier napping on the red rock face. He looked like a white blob from afar, but closer up, you could see him better. We saw several squirrels and chipmunks and maybe even a pika. As we were driving out, before we left the park, we did see a Big Grizzly munching in the field and a black bear cub munching on a tree right off the side of the road. Do NOT block traffic. The Ranger got pissed at the people who stopped traffic at both ends.

We did meet a lovely older couple that we hiked back with and shared great conversations with. We hope their future endeavors bring them all good things in life. (Follow us on TikTok for ideas: nomad.lifestyle)

After our hike, we rewarded ourself with bison burgers and a drink. I got the Huckleberry Smash (very good) and my husband got the Mountain Man, a Scottish Ale, which was also really good. The burgers came with fries at no extra cost, unlike Eddie's Mercantile in Agar Village, and the service was unbelievably fast. Not a bad place to stop to eat. Tad pricey though. Also, the one complaint we do have about it, is that the music they played wasn't always family friendly. They played the unedited version of "My Humps" by Fergie, which includes curse words and the...

This nearly 12mile hike was no doubt the greatest hiking experience of my life. My girlfriend and I are living proof out of shape city people can conquer this natural wonder. We arrived at the trailhead at 530am on a Saturday in mid August and did a 2 hour drive from West Glacier (woke up at 330am). Upon arrival the lot was 1/4 full and we napped in the car for 30minutes to be woken by cars and voices. By 610am the lot was nearly full. Thats when we embarked on what was a unforgettable experience. After the first mile you pass lake joesphine which was unreal in a sense of beauty. That lake alone is worth a long hike which was mostly shaded and easy. Then you start going up which wasnt too bad it never got too steep for us. About half way in you greeted by a aquamarine glacier lake from a overhead view and of course the towering surrounding mountains which remind you how small we really are. Soon after that you will notice it gets steeper, less shade, higher elevation, and some portion are narrow and very dangerous/deadly. Luckily everyone passing was respectful of others and the known danger. The last mile is where we almost gave up. I was coming down with jello legs and it was around 85 degrees with no shade. Will have no choice but to get wet from a waterfall right on the trail. I recommend sticking your head in it, trust me you will get starred at but its the most refreshing opportunity you have on the trail. Finally the last rock scramble leads you what will stain your memory forever. The Grinnell Glacier Lake. It truly a scene from Antartica and unmatched beauty that tells you a story without saying a word. The water is extremely cold but some maniac likely not human did swin out to a iceberg and climb on top and swim back. Do not try this. I dipped my feet in there for less than 10 seconds and my legs went completely numb, couldnt even walk for a minute. The walk back is when things got interesting. We ran into a group of big horn sheep. Struggled to get down, baking the heat, legs on auto pilot, fighting the urge to surrender. Then we made it to Lake Joesphine to some bad news... The trail to get back was closed from bear activity. Meaning we had no choice but to add 2 miles to our hike. But we did encounter 3 moose so it was worth it. When finally made it back we clocked just under 14 miles, 32,000 steps in about 8 hours (we stopped a lot). The feeling we did what we thought was too difficult was inspiring and felt beyond words. Although it was difficult. You can do it just take your time and start earlier. You may regret this for the rest of your life if you miss this opportunity to see something that may be gone in our lifetimes.

Notes... -Bring more water than you think. There was 2 of us and we brought 7 bottles. And we ran out of water in the last .5 mile. -Sunscreen -Good shoes -A lot snacks -Bear spray / airhorn -Pancho even on a sunny day -Respect nature and animals -Dont litter if you see it pick it up -Plan where you are eating after before because there are almost no options. -Take your time...

I woke up promptly at 3:30 AM and drove over 2 hours to get to the trailhead so I could get one of the few parking spots left for this trail. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Completing this challenging 11ish mile hike was the crown jewel of my Glacier national park experience. From my conversation with the Logan Pass’s ranger, this trail is one of the very few in the park where you can walk right up to see a glacier in August. I love this hike so much; albeit, I was definitely scared of a bear encounter(s) since I was on my own. With that said, there were many motivated hikers just like me, and I never felt alone for very long before I would encounter the next group of hikers on my journey. My favorite aspect of this trail is the thoughtful design. As you walk on, you get to be in the forrest, you get to walk the majority of a cliff and see the vibrant blue of Grinnell lake from atop, you get to see beautiful waterfalls that are feeding into the lake, and you get to see some fun wildlife. There were two bighorn sheep hanging out at the glacier. One of them walked toward me because I had the audacity to be on the trail. I now have a video of me being silly with a bighorn sheep (while staying a safe distance away). There was so much camaraderie with the other hikers. We were all scared of facing bears AND we all marched on while making little jokes with one another. The trail was fairly dry in August, and I wish I had worn my Teva sandals instead of my hiking boots because my feet were so worn down by the end. If you are solo hiking, I recommend making a lot of noise as you walk until you see the next group of hikers. I know it may feel embarrassing, but do not compromise your safety. At some point, some bear was listening to me list all the fruits that I could think of because I ran out of things to say. If you want to travel light, you can also do so on this trail by bringing your trusty water filter. I wish I had done that so I did not have to carry a heavy backpack containing my water bottles. As I sit at the glacier, I also got to hear it break apart which was half eerie half cool. The water is very cold, but if you are into a polar plunge, this would be the place. Hiking was so strenuous and tiring, and I had so much fun that I will be cherishing this memory for decades. Fun fact, I later met an older woman on another hike, and she spoke very fondly of her experience hiking Grinnell Glacier lake 26 years ago (shoutout to Debbie!!) This is THE hike to make some great memories, even if you...