Top 5 Things to Do in Glacier National Park
Welcome to Flathead Valley, Montana! Home of ancient glaciers, majestic lakes, and enchanted wilderness. Flathead is the all-around outdoors person’s paradise, but it also offers enough quintessential charm for quaint escapes and romantic moments. Whether you’re an adrenaline junky or a quiet spirit, the valley has a place for you.
There’s one thing we know for certain though — you will undoubtedly be looking forward to spending time in the iconic Glacier National Park. For this reason, we have hand-picked a list of the five most exciting things to do inside Glacier. If you want to check out activities outside the park, check out our Top 5 Things to Do Outside of Glacier. Flathead Valley is ripe with adventure from one end to the other! As you plan ahead for this life changing trip, you’ll be able to choose from an assortment of both high and low energy activities, including hikes, river tours, helicopter rides, and restful afternoons by the water.
An important thing to keep in mind is that as of 2021, due to the increase in tourism, Glacier has adopted a scheduled entry system. Along with purchasing an entry ticket from the entrance or the park’s website, you’ll also have to visit www.recreation.gov to schedule your visit. This applies to the entire summer season.
Top 5 Things to Do in Glacier:
Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road
Millions of people visit Glacier every year, and for good reason. It houses over 700 hundred lakes and around 700 hundred miles worth of hiking trails. The two primary entrances are connected by the Going-to-the-Sun-Road, which spans the park through the middle from one end to the other. You will ideally come in through the west entrance, and from there you can drive the 50 mile stretch through the park to the east side. Along the way, you’ll drive beside pristine alpine lakes, stunning mountain terrain, and dense forests. Part of the road cuts through the side of a sheer mountain wall, letting you look down from above on a view of the world that will stay with you for a lifetime.
Discover Hidden Lake
At the halfway section on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, its highest elevation point, you’ll find Logan Pass Visitor Center. There you can park your car and hike 1.3 miles to the Hidden Lake lookout. This otherworldly lake is tucked elusively away high near the mountain summits. Gazing down from the lookout feels like peering into another realm entirely.
The hike is moderate and part of the trail is covered in boardwalk. If you’re feeling energetic, you can trek the remaining 1.2 miles down to the lake itself — as long as there haven’t been any bear sightings.
Take a Red Bus Tour
With views like the ones in Glacier, who would want to have to keep their eyes on the road? Better to sit back, relax, and have somebody else do the driving. Thankfully, the park offers open air tours on their famous vintage red buses. The vehicles hail from the 1930’s and are part of one of the oldest touring fleets in the world. There are various tour routes and views to choose from, and the buses depart from both the west and east side of the park.
Ride the River
Glacier offers both whitewater rafting and leisure river floats within the park.
Thrill seekers can choose from an assortment of half-day, full-day, or overnight whitewater guides. Check below for our list of top rafting companies:
(All guides on this list offer both whitewater and leisure river floats.)
View the Falls
Glacier is home to around 200 waterfalls, but the St. Mary and Virginia Falls on the east side of the park are likely the most impressive. The trail is a mere 3 miles, and it takes you across both waterfalls. It’s easily accessible but offers lake views and even some places for swimming, if you can brave the frigid alpine waters. Though shorter than many of the other trails in the park, it is still no less impressive, and there are multiple connecting trails that allow you to extend the hike.
