Hiking to Grinnell Glacier is a beautiful journey as long as you are prepared. The trail starts basically from Many Glacier Hotel and hiking the full trail is just about 11 miles. However, you can shave close to 4 miles off if you are able to hitch a ride on one of the Many Glacier Boat Tours. The boat trips are a bit on the spendy side, $76 for the four of us, one way. And the 3.6 miles that get shaved off are mostly flat along the lake.
We were unable to secure a boat for the time we wanted to head out on our hike, so we picked up our tickets at the booth for our return ride. The last return boat is at 5:30 p.m. If you miss the 5:30 cut off you are walking the last two miles. This is not the worst thing but after the hike you’ve just done, you’ll be very grateful for the boat ride back! I secured our return tickets in a secret pocket and off we went.
Hot Tips! You will need more water than you think for this hike. Much of the hike is exposed and you will drink a lot of water as you gain elevation and have little shade to take breaks in. We carried 2 liters a person and came back with about one swallow left!
While we were there hikers in the area had just seen a bear, so remember to hike in a group, make noise and have your bear spray handy. Remember my hot tip about finding bear spray back at the sharing shack in Columbia Falls.
The trail starts on the east side of Swiftcurrent Lake, connects on the far side and then heads along the shore of Lake Josephine. We heard from a few other hikers that they saw a moose along Lake Josephine that morning, but we were not one of the lucky ones sadly.
The strenuous trail starts ascending right after the lake and doesn’t let up, but the amazing views don’t let up either. Making the climb worth every second.
The view of the emerald color lake is a great spot to take a group photo! Take a minute to have a snack and take a drink because next up you’ll reach a set of switchbacks that will make for a tough climb. Take this part slow and stop to look around every once in a while. You’ll get the chance to cool off in a bit as a waterfall cascades along the trail where it’s pretty hard not to get wet, at least just a little bit (though if hiking in the late spring/early summer the chance of staying remotely dry is slim)!
Just a little further and you will get to a small clearing where there is a pit toilet and a few benches to remove your packs and take a seat for a bit before you get on the trail for the last climb! At this point we were greeted by so many smiles returning on the trail congratulating us on making it to the top! Fellow hikers are so encouraging.
We walked a bit further to join the other hikers along the lake soaking their feet in the frigid water. After you have a good rest, take in the sights, dry your toes, you’ll return the way you came. And hopefully, you can catch the last boat and relax as you you ride across the two lakes.
At this point, if you are lucky enough to have snagged a room at Many Glacier Hotel, like we did, you are home for the night.
When hotels first opened up for reservations, the rooms at Many Glacier filled in minutes and I was unable to get a reservation. But I checked back every few weeks for the six months leading up to our trip and about a month before we flew out two rooms opened up with a double bed each!
We decided that the kids would get their own room for the night, which was working out perfectly until the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night because an employee burned toast in the staff lounge. What are the chances? Thankfully, we were able to get to their room as they peaked out and we all made our way safely outside until we received the all-clear.
The rooms at Many Glacier Hotel are a little rustic, not surprising since the hotel was built in the early 1900s, but clean and ours had a nice private deck. The window image was taken from our bed and the others from the front deck. The hotel gives Swiss Alps vibes, with the hallways making you feel like you are on the set of The Shining. The best part about the hotel is really the location. We stayed one night and really enjoyed the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park.
Wanderlust Travel Diary 