Thoughts of Summer - Glacier National Park - Grinnell Glacier Hike

Grinnell Glacier Trail
at Many Glacier
in Glacier National Park

This strenuous 5½-mi hike to Grinnell Glacier, which is the park's largest and most accessible glacier, is a popular exciting destination for hikers.  Note the trail may not be free of hazardous snow until late July.
You start at Swiftcurrent Lake's picnic area, climb a moraine to Lake Josephine, then climb to the Grinnell Glacier overlook elevation gain is approximately 1586 feet.


You can shortcut the trail by two miles each way by taking two scenic boat rides across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine.  The trail begins at Lake Josephine boat dock and continues above the northwest shore of Lake Josephine, passing though many semi-open areas where you will see twinflower, cow parsnip, mountain ash, fireweed and Rocky Mountain Maple growing.  As the trail proceeds above the lake it follows the rolling contours of the lakeside land.  About halfway up the side of Lake Josephine and at the end of Lake Josephine follow the right forks each time the trail forks.

From this point on the trail climbs steadily.   The trail passes to the north of Grinnell Lake.  The unusual color of Grinnell Lake is  caused  fine particles of glacial flour (flour is actually rock which has bee pulverized to a fine powder (Flour) suspened in the water by the action of Grinnell Glacier.)

Be sure to turn around to see the prairie land to the northeast when you are halfway up the trail to Grinell Glacier.....a spectacular panoramic view.

As the trail climbs towards Grinnell Glacier, you can see Grinnell Falls, Allen Mountain, Cataract Mountain, Piegan Mountain, Angel Wing and Mount Gould. So beautiful!!!

At 2.9 miles from the Lake Josephine Trail head the trail begins switch backing.  Three glaciers Gem, Grinnell and Salamander all come into view as the trail climbs. 

Grinnell Glacier filled this entire basin in the early 1900s, but the glacier today is a thin remnant that clings to the head wall along the Continental Divide. Grinnell Glacier has become an iconic symbol of climate change.   Grinnell Glacier has the lake affronting it's ice margin and was named after explorer and naturalist George Bird Grinnell.

Salamander Glacier, this glacier used to be connected to the larger Grinnell Glacier with the recession of Grinnell Glacier, it is now disconnected and sits on a rock shelf above Upper Grinnell Lake.

Gem Glacier sits along the crest of the mountains in the notch just to the right of the highest peak and drapes down from the north face of the steep aerate to which it is attached, Gem Glacier is Glacier Park's smallest glacier.

The Terrain becomes more open and you may see bighorn sheep or mountain goats on the nearby cliffs.  Lake Sherburne below the many Glacier Hotel will become visible now.   The trail stops climbing just before the 4.2 miles point and is more gradual from here to the picnic area.  There are numerous marrots and ground squirrels at the picnic area - so please do not feed them.

From the picnic area the trail goes left for a short distance and is a very steep climb.  The trail reaches the Grinnell Glacier Overlook at about 4.7 miles from the Lake Josephine Trail Head..  For your safety do not go onto the surface of Grinnell Glacier - a fall into a hidden crevasse could be fatal.

A ranger-led hike departs from the Many Glacier Hotel boat dock most mornings around 8:30am from July to mid-September.