Bears are a fact of life in Montana, especially so in Glacier Park. The book 'Bear Aware' covers bear safety while Hiking and Camping in Bear Country by Bill Schneider. Bear Spray is available at the general store in Many Glacier.
 Logan Pass Opened July 13, 2011Day Hikes in the Many Glacier AreaWinter storm warning for Glacier National Park 8-31-11
Up to 3" of snow above 6,000 feet!
As of August 15, 2011 all facilities are open in the Many Glacier Area. Many of the trails in Many Glacier are closed due to bear activity. You will need to check daily with the local Many Glacier Ranger Station near the Many Glacier Campground for current trail status. None of the trails starting in the Many Glacier area are now closed due to snow.
Swiftcurrent Pass Trail as far as Red Rock Falls is mostly clear of snow and all the bridges are in as of August 15, 2011. With current snow conditions the Red Rock Falls Trail is the best view hike in the Many Glacier Valley. As of June 15, 2011 most of the snow was gone from the valley, not all just most.
Check with the Ranger at the Ranger Station near Many Glacier Campground for current trail information! Trail conditions are changing DAILY!
Grinnell Glacier Trail didn't open till mid July in 2008. 2011 late opening records are continuing to be set as of 8-15-11 the Grinnell Glacier Trail still hasn't opened for the season.
Many Glacier is the hiking hub for a large number of trails in Glacier National Park. If your planning a day trip to Many Glacier you want to get there early at the trailheads the parking spaces become almost as rare as campsites in Many Glacier Campground on a weekend.
The snow filled notch in the center of the photo shows Grinnell Glacier in 1911, at that time the 'glacier' now called Salamander was the upper edge of Grinnell Glacier.
These trails vary from some of the easiest in the park to one of the more strenuous hikes in the park. The Swiftcurrent Pass Trail has the distinction of being both. The first four miles of the Swiftcurrent Pass Trail are very easy, with the trail providing access to several lakes. After the first four miles be prepared to go UP! I've hiked the first four miles numerous times and have no intention of hiking the Swiftcurrent Pass Trail from Many Glacier to the Loop. When I plan a hike I always minimize the uphill and maximize the downhill. The Swiftcurrent Pass Trail can also be approached from the Loop to Granite Park Chalet and then up and over Swiftcurrent Pass.
One of the more famous trails that start from Many Glacier is the Grinnell Glacier Trail. It's not an easy trail, but the views along the trail and at the Grinnell Glacier Overlook are truly spectacular. It's worth hiking this trail to see Grinnell Lake from above. To that point the trail is fairly moderate in difficulty. Another reason for hiking the Grinnell Glacier Trail is that in a few years there won't be a glacier at the end of the trail. Glacier National Park's glaciers are vanishing at an accelerated rate. According to the USGS Grinnell Glacier lost 9% of it's surface area in 2006. From the Grinnell Glacier Trail you can see how glacier flur from Grinnell Glacier transforms the lake surface into a turquoise color. The lucky part is that spectacular view of Grinnell Lake is from a long section on the Grinnell Glacier Trail before the trail starts to get steep.
Black and White photo below was taken in 1911 for USGS. I've touched up some of the scratches.
Swiftcurrent Pass Trail and the Grinnell Glacier Trail are tough trails but both trails have the distinction of being fairly easy for the first four miles. For serious hikers the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park and it's centrally located campground provides a jumping off point for some of the most spectacular trails in Montana. The sheer number of repeat visits by hikers, and entire hiking clans, to the Many Glacier area, year after year, generation after generation make this area unique in the National Park System.
Many Glacier is not serviced by the free park service shuttle.
Many Glacier usually has the highest concentration and variety of wildlife in the park.
Many Glacier Trails are very good wildflower trails. A trip to Glacier National Park without visiting the Many Glacier area of the park would be a great loss for you as a visitor to Glacier Park. The views alone are worth the side trip to Many Glacier.
Many Glacier is bear country.
Many Glacier Trails Trail Map
- Apikuni Falls Trail
1.0 miles elevation gain 700 feet
700 feet elevation gain occurs in 3/4 of a mile
Trailhead is on your right shortly after you lose sight of
Sherburne Lake (reservoir)
wildflowers, views, waterfall
No Shuttle Service
Moderately Strenuous hike
- Cracker Lake Trail
Google™ Map Cracker Lake
6.1 miles elevation gain 1,400 feet
Limited Shuttle Service
This is a heavily used horse trail
Scenic hike
Strenuous hike
- SwiftCurrent Lake Trail
2.5 mile loop
follows lake shoreline
not as heavily traveled as you would think.
TRAIL POSTING: 07/04/11
from the Many Glacier picinic area to the Swiftcurrent Creek bridge for bears
Limited Shuttle Service
Easy hike
- Lake Josephine Trail
5 miles don't know the gain but it's not 200 feet.
a very short trail connects
SwiftCurrent Lake Trail to the Lake Josephine Trail
can be done as a loop trail
you could even do a figure eight around the two lakes.
Limited Shuttle Service
Moderate hike
- Grinnell Glacier Trail
Google™ Maps Grinnell Glacier
5.5 miles from Many Glacier Hotel elevation gain 1,600 feet
3.8 miles gains 1,600 feet from the head of Josephine Lake
by way of Glacier Boat.
Views, views & more views!
Crowds, heavily traveled trail.
Limited Shuttle Service
Strenuous hike
- Grinnell Lake Trail
3.4 miles from Many Glacier Hotel
0.9 miles from the head of Josephine Lake
by way of Glacier Boat.
This trail suffered extensive damage during
'The Pineapple Express' in November of 2006.
Limited Shuttle Service
Easy hike
- Iceberg Lake Trail
4.8 miles elevation gain 1,200 feet
Crowds, heavily traveled trail.
Limited Shuttle Service
Strenuous hike
- Ptarmigan Falls Trail
2.6 miles elevation gain 700 feet
Crowds, heavily traveled trail.
This tends to be a very buggy trail,
in large part I feel due to food litter from hikers.
This trail & the Iceberg Lake Trail (same trail up to this point)
is frequently closed due to bear activity!
Limited Shuttle Service
Easy hike
- Ptarmigan Lake Trail
4.3 miles elevation gain 1,700 feet
After Ptarmigan Falls,
Iceberg Lake Trail & Ptarmigan Falls Trail split.
Ptarmigan Lake Trail is not usually crowded.
Limited Shuttle Service
Strenuous hike
- Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail
5.3 miles elevation gain 2,300 feet
After Ptarmigan Falls,
Iceberg Lake Trail & Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail split.
Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail is not usually crowded.
This trail is more difficult then the Grinnell Glacier Trail.
Stunning!
Limited Shuttle Service
Strenuous hike
- Redrock Falls Trail
1.8 miles elevation gain 100 feet
Easy hike
- Swiftcurrent (Pass) Trail
No Shuttle Service
There are a lot of trails called Swiftcurrent in the Many Glacier area.
The actual Swiftcurrent Pass Trail is Brutal
But if you take that same trail until you run into
the base of Swiftcurrent Mountain. (you can't miss it)
Then it is a Very Easy hike.
Great views, lakes & waterfalls!
Lots of wildlife
Moose, bighorn sheep, grizzly bears, black bears,
grouse & wolverine.
(you probably won't see any wolverine)
The wolverine trap (live) might still be there.
Limited Shuttle Service
Easy hike
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