Glacier National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks I have ever visited! The stunning glacial waters are just out of this world – I’ve never seen anything like them.
You must add Glacier National Park to your bucket list if it isn’t there already! I promise you one visit won’t be enough – you’ll leave wanting to come back.
I would recommend going for at least 3 days if you are able to, but this ultimate 2-day weekend itinerary will help you plan out your trip to maximize all of your time there.
If you’re thinking about combining this visit with a road trip along the west coast, check out my post: Complete Itinerary For A Stunning West Coast Road Trip.
This Glacier National Park blog post will tell you everything you need to know before visiting the park, what to pack, and the best hikes!
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1. Make your reservations online in advance
Starting in 2025, you will need a timed entry vehicle reservation for the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and North Fork. These can only be secured at Recreation.gov, or using their mobile app.
Tickets are released 4 months in advance and sell out REALLY fast. They will also release some additional reservations the day before, if you aren’t able to secure a reservation.
2. If you don't score a reservation, don't worry
Not all roads require a timed entry vehicle reservation. And the ones that do, you are able to freely enter the road after 3 PM.
3. Be sure to also buy your Glacier National Park Pass before your visit
While there’s an infinite number of the National Park passes, it’s helpful to get your pass before your visit. This will help you to maximize your time in the park, instead of waiting on a long line to buy your pass when you arrive.
4. Parking lots fill up quickly but cars are always leaving
We got up early each morning to get to the park by 7 AM to really maximize our time there. We didn’t have issues with parking, except at Logan Pass since we went there later in the day.
However, this is the largest parking lot, so we were able to snag a spot after only about 10 minutes of circling around the lot.
Be prepared to be aggressive with grabbing the first spot you can find!
5. There is not reliable cell reception in Glacier National Park
While you may get lucky and find a pocket of cell reception, or be able to use a hotel’s WiFi, plan as if you won’t have any cell service at all in the park.
I recommend downloading Offline Google Maps for the entire area of Glacier National Park before your trip. Feel free to DM me on Instagram if you aren’t sure how to do this and I can help you!
Also make sure to download any road reservations, park passes, etc before you enter the park.
6. Stay nearby the park entrance
My sister and I stayed in an Airbnb just 15 minutes away from the park entrance, and it was the best idea ever.
This means you can be one of the first to get into the park each morning. It is especially crucial if you weren’t able to get a road reservation, since you can enter the park without one before 7 AM.
If you want to know our exact Airbnb, send me a message and I’ll send you the link!
Day 1
For Day 1, you will need a Going-To-The-Sun Road reservation to access these trails between 7 AM and 3 PM.
This link will take you to the official Recreation.gov website to make your reservation.
8:00 AM : Trail of the Cedars & Avalanche Lake
Start your trip strong with an easy-to-moderate walk through the Trail of the Cedars, and continue on to Avalanche Lake.
It’s about a 5.9 mile out-and-back trail, and estimated to take 2 1/2 hours to complete, according to AllTrails.
However Avalanche Lake is about 2/3 of the way into the hike so if you want an easier hike, you can stop once you get to the lake and turn back!
The water is actually so insane – it’s this perfectly blue/green emerald color, and the backdrop with the mountains and the trees makes it the most scenic trail.
12:00 PM : Logan Pass & Hidden Lake Overlook
Once you finish the Avalanche Lake hike, drive up to Logan Pass to hike the Hidden Lake Overlook!
This is a 2.7 mile out-and-back trail with a pretty steep elevation gain, so prepare accordingly! Once you reach the top though, you’ll be met with incredible views like this:
You can also see a ton of mountain goats on this hike! We saw a whole little family just passing through the mountains, it was really cool.
This is a pretty popular trail, so prepare for it to be busy – which unfortunately includes the parking lot.
3:30 PM : Red Rock Point
Red Rock Point is a little overlook we stumbled upon on our drive out of Glacier National Park! It’s absolutely worth adding to your itinerary and stopping by.
It’s an easy 5-10 minute walk out from the road to see these cascading waterfalls with super light blue water.
6:00 PM : Great Bear Cafe
After all of this hiking and sightseeing, I imagine you’ve got to be pretty hungry! So, we’re going to exit Glacier National Park and head into the little nearby town for some dinner.
I recommend going to the Great Bear Cafe; they’ve got Montana classics like biscuits and gravy, and elk and buffalo burgers! This was the perfect stop after a long day.
7:30 PM : Eddie’s Cafe
Once you’re filled up on dinner, head back into Glacier National Park for some huckleberry ice cream at Eddie’s Cafe!
You’ll notice that huckleberry is a really popular ingredient in a lot of dishes in Montana, especially around Glacier National Park. It’s a wild berry, primarily harvested in the Rocky Mountains and is so delicious!
While you’re here, you can also walk down to the water at Lake McDonald, where you’ll be able to see the iconic rainbow rocks:
Seeing these was on my bucket list for such a long time, and was well worth the visit!
If you have more than 2 days in Glacier National Park, I recommend spending a day driving up to Bowman Lake. To access this lake, you will need to make a timed entry vehicle reservation on Recreation.gov at 8 AM on the Saturday before.
This is separate from the other road reservations, and the Glacier National Park Pass.
Day 2
For Day 2, you will need a Going-To-The-Sun Road reservation and a Many Glacier hiker shuttle service ticket to access these trails between 7 AM and 3 PM.
This link will take you to the official Recreation.gov website to make your reservation.
Please note that the Many Glacier hiker shuttle service is new as of 2025 due to construction.
8:00 AM : Logan Creek
This is not an official “stop,” but we spontaneously pulled over on the side of the road here to take these INCREDIBLE photos. I mean, just look at this view!
If there’s a lot of traffic, I wouldn’t recommend doing this. However, if you’re here right when the park opens you will probably get lucky too and there will barely be any cars around!
9:00 AM : Grinnell Glacier Trail
Continue on to the trailhead for Grinnell Glacier Trail. This is the NUMBER ONE rated hike in Glacier National Park and it is actually so unbelievable.
According to AllTrails, it’s a 10 mile out-and-back trail that’s estimated to take you about 5 hours. However, since there was some construction going on, we actually ended up taking 7 hours and hiking 14 miles roundtrip, starting at the Many Glacier Hotel.
There is a boat tour that starts at the Many Glacier Hotel, that will cut out about 1.5 – 2 miles each leg of the hike. Tickets for this sell out really quickly, so make sure to check out the Many Glacier Hotel’s official website for tickets and the most up-to-date information.
This hike will take you past 4 lakes, with the trail starting at the Swiftcurrent Lake. Then you’ll hike along Lake Josephine, which is so stunning.
As you keep climbing higher, the water gets lighter and more shocking. You’ll then pass Grinnell Lake, which is at the bottom of a steep drop-off and has its own hiking trail, if you’re looking for something more moderate.
The trail ends at Upper Grinnell Lake, which will feel like it is SO far away. But I promise it is worth it to hike all the way to the end.
Just look how insane it is:
Photos don’t even do it justice, so you’ll just have to come and see it for yourself!
5:00 PM : Swiss Lounge @ Many Glacier Hotel
When you FINALLY make it to the end of the trail, I suggest heading into the Many Glacier Hotel and grabbing dinner at the Swiss Lounge.
We didn’t have to wait too long for a table, and the food was delicious. Not sure if that’s just because we were starving, but they have lots of great options and it’s amazing how convenient it is.
7:30 PM : Lake McDonald
If you still have a bit of energy left, stop by Lake McDonald on your way home to watch the sunset! We pulled off into one of the many little parking lots along the Going-To-The-Sun road, and sat on some rocks here.
The colors are absolutely magnificent; every part of Glacier National Park is truly so stunning.
If you’re in the mood for another sweet treat, you can stop by Eddie’s Cafe again for some ice cream!
Otherwise, head back home to get what will probably be an amazing night of sleep due to the exhaustion.
What To Pack For Glacier National Park
Here’s my list of things you might not usually think to pack that you will definitely need on your trip to Glacier National Park:
- Bear Spray: our Airbnb hosts had some they let us use, but if your accommodations don’t provide any, make sure to pick some up!
- Comfortable hiking boots: some of the trails were longer than we expected, so prepare for lots of walking.
- Cooler: use this to pack lunch, snacks and lots of extra water – remember to fill it with ice packs!
- Portable charger: especially if you’re using for phone for directions, it can lose battery quickly and you’ll need a way to keep your phone charged. This one is my favorite!
- Sunscreen: hopefully you’re packing this on all of your trips, but wanted to call it out specifically since you’ll be out all day in the sun.
- Paper maps: this is optional, but can come in super handy since there is no cell service in Glacier National Park.
- Layers: temperatures can start out cool in the morning, and progressively get warmer throughout the day. You’ll want to wear light layers that you can put on / take off as needed.
- Water bottle: again, something you should always have but definitely when you are out hiking all day. The most dangerous thing would be to be dehydrated.
Any questions? Drop them in the comments and I’ll get back to you ASAP!
If you’re planning a trip to Glacier National Park, feel free to send me an email or DM on Instagram with any questions or for personalized travel tips!
mariss
