When COVID-19 hit this year, I had to cancel all my international and domestic travel plans. Desperate for a getaway, I (like a lot of people) realized 2020 lends the opportunity to explore National Parks in the U.S. Although any travel during this time is risky, it can be considered a lower-risk trip since it’s easier to socially distance in the outdoors while enjoying beautiful landscapes. I decided to make Glacier National Park in Montana the first stop on my National Park journey. There is so much to see and do in the park but five days to explore is the perfect amount of time. It’s important to know that the East side of Glacier remains closed for at least the rest of 2020 in order to protect the Blackfeet Reservation from exposure to COVID-19 – plan accordingly.
Now, let’s walk through the full itinerary!
Day One
Highline Trail + Grinnell Glacier Overlook
The Highline is a popular trail in the park for its beautiful landscape, flowers, and wildlife. It was easily one of my favorite hikes that we did and I can’t recommend it enough! During our trip we saw panoramic views of mountains and forests, mesmerizing ice blue lakes and came across mountain goats, deer, and bighorn sheep. Since parking spots are limited, I highly recommend waking up early and getting to Logan Pass Visitor Center by 7am to secure yours. The last thing you want to do is be circling the lot and wasting precious daylight trying to find a spot. Getting there early will also allow you to enjoy the breathtaking sunrise and take advantage of less crowds on the trails.
In a non-COVID world when the free shuttles are running, most people do the “Highline Loop” which is an 11.8 mile one-way hike from Logan Pass to the Loop. You’d park your car at The Loop, take the shuttle to Logan Pass, start your hike and end it at the Loop (or vice versa). However, when I visited the shuttles were not operating yet so the Highline became a round-trip hike clocking in at around 18 miles (wowza!). This took us about 10 hours and was moderately-strenuous to hike so we dedicated the entire day to it. Let me tell you, even after the blisters and sore muscles I still think it was so worth it!
Right before getting to the Granite Park Chalet (which is a perfect spot to stop for lunch at one of the picnic tables) you’ll come across the trailhead for Grinnell Glacier Overlook. The NPS map says this trail is .09 miles but the trailhead says it is .6 miles. Regardless, the trail is steep…you gain over 900ft in elevation in just a short distance. We contemplated if it would be worth it and decided to do it after every person we asked could not stop raving about it! One thing to be cautious of is this is a very challenging trail. I am in good physical shape and even I had to stop at least 20 times along the way to catch my breath. All the hikers coming down kept encouraging us to keep going and that it’d be worth it – and it really was!
Day Two
Explore the town of Whitefish, MT
After hiking 18 miles the day before, I was so happy to take this day off to relax and give my body some rest! Whitefish, MT is a quaint resort town just 30 minutes or so away from the entrance to Glacier National Park. We stayed at a VRBO just a few minutes from town and it was the perfect spot. Many people visit Whitefish in the wintertime to go skiing/snowboarding at the mountain, however, if you’re visiting during spring/summer/fall there is still much to see and do: shopping, breweries, farmer’s markets, etc. While there I spent the day going in and out of local shops in downtown Whitefish. You must stop at Sweet Peaks ice cream shop and try one of their many delicious homemade flavors too! When I visited during August it was the height of Huckleberry season and their Huckleberry ice cream was YUM! After browsing the downtown area, I spent the remainder of the day soaking up the sun on the beach of Whitefish Lake. Here you can just hang out, boat, fish, kayak, and more. The freshwater was a clear blue and the views of mountains in the background were just spectacular.
Day Three
Whitewater raft the Middle Fork of the Flathead River
After a much needed day relaxing, get back into that adventure mindset with a half-day tour whitewater rafting with Glacier Raft Co. This was the first time I had ever done white-water rafting and it was so much fun! Located right near the entrance to Glacier National Park, you spend 2.5 hours rafting 8 miles of the Middle Fork of Flathead River. The tour starts with a more scenic paddle where you enjoy the beautiful landscape and can even spot some wildlife – it’s a great vantage point of the outdoors. Then you get to the whitewater of John Stevens Canyon where the real fun begins! The rapid’s classification is between Class II-III depending on when you go.
Day Four
Going to the Sun Road
Back in the park for an early start (6:45am to be exact), we took some time to drive the remainder of the Going to the Sun Road that was open. This included stopping along the road to view St. Mary Lake with Wild Goose Island in the middle of it.
St. Mary’s + Virginia Falls
A few miles past Logan Pass you will find the Trailhead to St. Mary’s and Virginia Falls, which is an easy 3.6 mile round-trip hike. Both of these falls are multi-tiered, meaning they drop 2+ times right after another. St. Mary’s has 3 tiers which drop roughly 35 ft. The park built a bridge across the river so you can walk across and see the full beauty of the falls and the blue pools of water emptying into the river.
Once you cross the bridge and continue on, you’ll come across a few more cascades and mini-waterfalls. At the end of the trail you’ll be brought to Virginia Falls which is even more beautiful than St. Mary’s (in my opinion). This waterfall is multi-tiered and drops about 50ft.
This trail is known for bear frequenting so make sure you always have your bear spray with you. We did not come across any bears during our hike, but did end up seeing two moose from afar!
Hidden Lake Trail
Back at the Logan Pass parking lot, you will find the trailhead for Hidden Lake Overlook (2.8 miles round trip) and Hidden Lake Trail (5.2 miles round trip). Both are spectacular views of the Hidden Lake – the overlook trail has a cool view from above whereas the full trail lets you go to the lake itself. If you’re looking to do the overlook trail, its moderately-easy and shorter than hiking the full trail down to the lake. Recently, Hidden Lake has been closed due to bear activity so keep an eye out if it will be open or not during your visit!
Day Five
Trail of the Cedars
This wheelchair accessible trail is an easy 1-mile loop through a forest of beautiful cedar trees, plants, and more. A section of the trial is built up on a raised plank boardwalk, which gives up close views to the surrounding plant-life. It is important to note this trail in particular is very populated and can be very narrow- social distancing may be tough at times and it would be smart to have a mask handy just in case.
Avalanche Lake Trail
The moderately difficult hike to Avalanche Lake totals 4.5 miles round trip and starts from the Trail of the Cedars. At the beginning of Avalanche Lake Trail there is a narrow gorge filled with glacially melted water that has smoothed the rock down over time. Continuing down the trail you will come across some steep inclines and may even see a bear or two.
At the lake is a beach-like area where hikers can relax, swim and enjoy the beautiful surrounding area while marveling at the waterfalls.
Lake McDonald
You can do this at any point during your visit, however, I’ve found a perfect way to wrap up a trip to Glacier is with a half or full-day visit to Lake McDonald. There are many ways to take in the landscape of this 10-mile lake and it’s colorful rocks, however, most people experience it from the Apgar Village side. Visitors can spend the day shopping, dining or grabbing ice cream at Eddie’s Cafe and Mercantile. There is beach access to Lake McDonald which makes it easy to sunbathe, have a picnic, or swim after a hike. For folks that still want to be active, you can rent kayaks or canoes, go fishing, horseback ride and more!
I absolutely loved my time in Glacier National Park and look forward to the day I can go back and explore even more parts of the park!
What would you most look forward to?
