Magnificent natural beauty. Lakes, streams, and mountains of majesty surrounding a valley. Bike…read moretrails, picnic areas, and scenic turn offs abound. Came through yesterday, and admission was free. Saw there's a golf course as well. Small town of Waterton with a RV campground, stores and restaurants.

A great park with variety and views right where the Canadian Rockies hit the plains. Good hikes…read moreavailable of all kinds. I was surprised to see a substantial town essentially inside a national park, but it does provide a convenient mix of services including decent restaurants. Especially after the intense crowds of Glacier, this felt like a relief, though you still won't find solitude on the popular trails.

Akamina Parkway....a major attraction and spot to explore in Waterton Lakes National Park...just…read morewasn't fulfilling enough for me. Granted the circumstances...I was disappointed. Alright....getting straight to the gist....when I visited Waterton Lakes this past summer.....I was excited to drive this 9.4 mile road along scenic surroundings and amongst the beautiful Canadian/American countryside. It all came to a halt when I discovered that there was a major fire in the area that caused Akamina Parkway to be closed down until improvements could be made to the road. What a disappointment! Yet....let me clarify....the road was only closed to vehicles. But....if you wanted to hike it....which sounded outrageous considering round trip it would be almost 20 miles, or........(which I did) you could rent a bicycle in town at Pat's of Waterton and spend a few hours traversing the path on 2 wheels. I was genuinely excited to explore Akamina Parkway (since I had plenty of time) and I had no issues with renting a bike. Here's where the problem came to be.....I went to Pat's, it was all good. I rented a mountain bike which was $60 - American dollars for the entire day (or after the exchange rate on my credit card) - only $47 Canadian. Great.....I rented the bike and went on my way..... Good thing about the location of Akamina Parkway - the start of it was situated right on the outskirts of the town of Waterton. Biking from Pat's to the start of the parkway was simple. Well....here's where conditions (at least for me) became difficult. Trekking upon the parkway, wow....it was entirely uphill. (I thought I was athletic and in good shape) I was huffing and puffing away! Countless times I had to get off my bike and walk it uphill. It was strenuous to say the least, ugh. Funny.....I had multiple people pass me by. How??? I thought??? Because those folks were smart. They were riding E-BIKES! E-BIKES (I thought to myself...what is an E-Bike???) It's a motorized bicycle that assists you limiting the amount of pedaling. Wow...who woulda thought? I'm 40 years old and totally out of touch with modern technologies these days! So yeah I made a mistake. I needed an E-Bike! Even though I never realized renting an E-Bike was an option....it can be done at Pat's - though it's only offered at an hourly rate (around $20ish per hour, I believe)...not for one flat fee for the entire day. Regardless of how I navigated this 9.4 mile Akamina Parkway.....I was expecting grand and glorious images of the panoramic landscape of Waterton......unfortunately along my intense pedaling....the views were mediocre. I had also read at the end of this roadway.....the 2 mile round trip hike along Cameron Lakeshore was superb. Ultimately, I never made it. I couldn't even finish the bicycling journey after 2 suffering hours. So...I don't know if Cameron Lake and the surrounding trail was picturesque. But by the photos I saw online....it did look special. In the end...I actually pedaled about 3/4's of the way on Akamina Parkway. And...not only was this mostly uphill....but the treacherous WATERTON WINDS were blowing against me intensifying the whole ordeal. One other note....my bike seat so was uncomfortable that my undercarriage was in quite some pain, lol. I don't know why...but in that moment I decided to quit - "no mas"....I had enough. Ironically and typically, I was quite excited to turn around and bicycle back to the start which as you'd expect if you've come this far....took a quick downhill cruise with the wind of - 20 minutes! Hehehe Hopefully for those who are reading this and for the future....Akamina Parkway will be reopened to passenger vehicles enabling a smooth and easy exploration of the area. Regardless, I wasn't too impressed with the scenery along the way. It was sort of a letdown. I found visiting Prince of Wales Hotel, Bertha Lake Trail, Cameron Falls, taking a boat tour on the "International" and walking around Waterton Township made for much more worthwhile activities and sights upon my visit to Waterton Lakes NP.

Located after driving past Lake MacDonald, this is a nice easy, flat trail to do with kids. You…read morewalk covered almost the whole time in a forest so it never got hot. Lots of trees to enjoy, quiet, a creek/stream (my kids loved this part), a gorge, and some weeping rocks. It is a loop trail. I recommend going right first so the bigger payoffs are towards the end. And there is one restroom on the trail towards the first half of the trail. It is... a trail bathroom so don't have high expectations. Parking can be a challenge, but we lucked out. There are a couple parking areas. Worth your time if you're at Glacier and not hard.

Trail of the Cedars is a really short and beautiful hike and is wheelchair accessible. There are…read moresigns for Avalanche trail which starts around the midpoint of the Cedars trail. I Highly recommend the Avalanche trail. Its approx 5 miles round trip and takes about 2 hours but that was including picture taking that we did. We completed this ending of May and views of the Lake were gorgeous. The path was easy to follow and the elevation wasnt that tough to hike. We saw deer along the way which was cute! Breath taking views of the lake at the end so worth it and relatively easy hike. There ia even a restroom along the hike about a mile in. Both hikes recommended!

For me, Grinnell Lake gets 4.5 stars. The ONLY REASON why I didn't give it 5 stars is because when…read moreI visited in the afternoon, the magnificent backdrop was set against the sun....and admiring this setting against the sun prevented me from capturing the perfect photos. This was quite frustrating! I had read and heard wonderful reviews about this place...the lake and the hike to get here in general. Unfortunately, when I arrived about 3pm, you could pretty much say the sun was a huge obstacle and quite a hindrance on my memories from here. Ultimately, I had to wait for clouds and or move myself to different spots to avoid the sun's beams. Regardless.....everything about this hike was pretty good. Grinnell Lake is located in the more secluded section of the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park. When I visited last month, I had to wait in a line of cars just to gain access to Many Glacier. Because this popular part of Glacier NP is quite small in circumference....park rangers were only permitting a limited amount of visitors. Wow, that was quite annoying. Fortunately for me, since I planned my itinerary ahead of time, I was spending the evening here in Many Glacier and told the park ranger that I was sleeping the night at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, (which was the actual truth)...so he allowed me to pass. The trail for Grinnell Lake starts right next door on the grounds of Many Glacier Hotel. You can park wherever...on the side of the streets or in the parking lot. If you have a free moment, absolutely venture inside Many Glacier Hotel and along the grounds as the hotel exudes a rustic/European style - Swiss chalet - certainly lending itself to the heart of this outdoorsy - natural - setting along Josephine Lake. For Grinnell Lake, look for signs for the Swiftcurrent Lake Loop Trail. Here is where you want to go. It's situated towards the rear of Many Glacier Hotel. Ask someone inside the lodge if you need assistance finding the trailhead. From the Swiftcurrent Foot Trail, Grinnell Lake is 3.4 miles EACH WAY! Yes...that's almost 7 miles round trip! And, you could venture further towards Grinnell Glacier....another fantastically recommended trail, but....to Grinnell Glacier, it's 5.9 miles EACH WAY, - and for me....this was too far and took too much time out of the day. Also, it's mentioned in your park's map guide that Grinnell Glacier is a STRENUOUS TRAIL....where - as just hiking to Grinnell Lake is a moderately navigated passageway. Upon trekking beside Josephine Lake making my way towards Grinnell Lake, there were plenty of photo opportunities as the lake was quite picturesque, especially when the sun was at my back. Past Josephine Lake, the surroundings were just alright. Please understand though, this trail is great for those looking to get away and immerse themselves in the back country woods. You can find an easier way to arrive at Grinnell Lake by taking a boat towards the other end of Josephine Lake, getting out and then trekking the remaining distance on. For me, I was okay simply hiking as I didn't want to pay a fee and then wait for a boat to launch. Finally coming upon Grinnell Lake, yes...the hike was worth it. The calm waters here were immaculate. Absolutely perfect....colorful blue/green and turquoise. Along with the majestic and scenic background....you're confronted with a lush green mountain carved away with a running waterfall centered in the heart of it all. This spot and panoramic view was worth it all! All the time spent hiking and traversing my way, coming here made for witnessing this grand view. I was totally impressed! Yeah...leisurely, unobtrusively sitting down and appreciating this landscape is the reason why you come here. I spent a good 45 minutes just relaxing, taking photos and reflecting on how beautiful this place was. And like I mentioned earlier, had it not been for the sun in my way, Grinnell Lake absolutely would have been 5 stars. Lol....so when all is said and done....I HAVE TO RECOMMEND TO ANYONE WHO READS THIS....HIKE TO GRINNELL LAKE IN THE MORNING!!! And although from here, it's only a couple more miles along towards Grinnell Glacier (which was highly recommended), I was satisfied that I had explored enough and ventured back towards the Many Glacier Lodge. In all, I spent about 4 - 5 hours hiking over to Grinnell Lake. If you're spending time in this Many Glacier section of Glacier National Park, Grinnell Lake is quite the highlight and should not be missed.

Full disclosure - I only hiked like 5 mins of this trail, but that's because it was closed for the…read morewinter still despite being Sunday June 29! The trail actually opened in full that Wednesday, so I came just slightly too early. That said, I hiked the loop trail up to the intersection of the highline trail, and walked along to near glacier junction. You can see the continuation of the trail in the distance and it is obviously a gorgeous trail - and quite challenging given the distance, although I'm told the incline is actually fairly gradual. Overall: I'm planning a trip back to glacier next summer a little bit later specifically to do this trail out to grinnell glacier overlook along the garden wall. My trip along the loop was absolutely stunning, so I want to make it out to granite peak chalet again another way. And while it likely won't come as a surprise to anyone planning to hike this trail, do bear in mind the warnings about safety including taking enough water/food, bear spray, and ideally going with someone else (particularly given doing this trail takes pretty much all day).

Difficult but great trail. We did the 3.5 mile each way stretch starting at Logan Pass and ending…read moreat Haystack pass, where we stopped for a picnic lunch. Lots of people made it more difficult, but the reviews were amazing. We even saw our first marmots too. I'd highly recommend this one while at Glacier.

A GORGEOUS drive that you will not forget. Scenic views, waterfalls, creeks, the occasional animal,…read morehistory, etc. It really is not easy to describe how beautiful this drive is. Lots of pullovers throughout to enjoy little breaks and to take nice photos. Some notable stops were Jackson Glacier, Ladder Creek, Weeping Wall.... There really are a lot of worthwhile stops. Just prepare for the traffic on the road to occasionally move very slowly.

You'd be hard pressed to say anything about GTSR aside from "unmatched views of beautiful meadows,…read moremassive mountains, gorgeous valleys, and the occasional waterfall." The road is only open 3-4 months out of the year in summer once the snow has been cleared and it can become closed again if it snows late in the season (that happened this year in 2025), so bear that in mind when planning your trip. That said, it is absolutely worth at least one trip in everyone's life as far as I'm concerned to make the drive along this famous road. It is absolutely stunning, every lookout point is an incredible photo op, and even the visitor centers are in the most stunning, picturesque locations so even if you can't hike any tough trails, you can see some absolutely incredible parts of this park without even leaving the car (although would strongly recommend getting out for hikes if you are physically able - you miss a lot of other grandeur if you don't ). If very afraid of heights be aware the road is kinda narrow and the drop offs can look kinda steep. But there are barriers all along the road, rest assured about that. Overall - this is without a doubt one of the most beautiful drives and parks I've ever been in, period. STRONGLY rec a visit.

We were able to hike the Grinnell Glacier Trailhead through Many Glacier on the last day it was…read moreopen for the season (9/19/21) but unfortunately the weather wasn't on our side. It was a constant mist/rain the entire hike and then getting into Grinnell Glacier it was snowing! We arrived at the parking lot by 7AM and there were already 10 cars parked and we started the hike around 7:30. By the time we got back, around 1PM, the lot was full but the rain started coming down more so people were leaving. It's about a 10-11 mile hike RT. During the summer, you can opt to pay to take a boat across Lake Josephine to shorten the hike, but that was the easiest part. The part of the hike where you walk above Lake Josephine is probably the most picturesque - so gorgeous but a little foggy. When you finally get to the Glacier you're greeted with the bluest water bend and snow covered mountains. For this hike, the way back is easier and we were happy about that because we were cold and starting to feel miserable. Would love to do this hike again with better weather but it was still a beautiful one to do! We drove Going-to-the-Sun road and round the Rising Sun Boat Deck parking lot (which was empty during this time) and it was the perfect spot for a nap.

My friends and I hiked to Grinnell Overlook via the Granite park trail. The whole trail was out and…read moreback and a total of about 11.4 miles with around 3500 ft of elevation. Not gonna lie, the last stretch (the Garden Wall) was pretty rough as the trail was very narrow and incredibly rocky, and the wind was constantly screaming and whipping your face (definitely bring a windbreaker and protect your hats!!!). But despite the difficulty for us average hikers and the sad state of our feet afterwards, my friends and I absolutely loved the experience. It wasn't just about the view at the top for us. The entire trail was stunning and since we hiked late September, the red and golden foliage all around us made us feel like we were in another world. We saw various wildlife as well - mostly deer and chipmunks!

Nice 5.5 mile out and back trail to the lake. Good workout with some elevation. Please note you…read morewill see logging which is a turn off for purist. The trail is smooth without major rocks. The creek is visible on the first section of the trail. If you want a short walk just hike to the overlook.

We had a wonderful stay at the Sky Eco. We rented a cabin that was amazing, updated and perfect for…read moreour Glacier visit. Close to the park but away from the craziness. The kitchen was appropriately stocked for us. The owners were great to work with and we could not have been happier. We would highly recommend it.

Rented E-bikes to do GTTSR in Glacier Natl Park. Rental was very easy to book online, when we…read morearrived at the shop, everything was ready to go. How to use the e-bikes was thoroughly explained. Price was the best we found, and included the helmet & bike locks too. Bikes were in excellent condition & worked great! We had a great time & highly recommend Sky Eco Rentals! The gentleman who helped us was knowledgeable & was very friendly.

Was surprised with how much I loved this little beach. I got a sandwich nearby at Wich Haus (the…read moremost amazing smoked chicken thigh sammy) and decided to come here to enjoy it on the beach. There were picnic tables and a beautiful lake with some mountains in the background. Just overall pristine and beautiful. The water looked so clear and inviting, I went in for a swim. Being mid-September, it was pretty cold, but I had a refreshing swim on the beach. No lifeguards or anyone telling you where you can and can't swim which is my kinda open water swimming. Loved this city beach -- highly recommended!

So fun! We rented a float tube , a SUP, and a beach chair - reasonably priced since we didn't bring…read moreany beach gear. There was some sand and grass with shade trees. We got a spot, had a picnic and went out on the lake! Then we got ice cream sandwiches at the snack bar. Everyone was cool and friendly. There was a big roped off swim area: actually 2: a shallow area for little ones and a big deeper are with a swim platform. Great afternoon to chill out after crowds and traffic in Glacier NP.