The Hidden Lake Overlook Trail was my favorite activity that we did on our 2 week trip to Montana…read more The scenery is BEAUTIFUL the WHOLE WAY and not too challenging (a bunch of boardwalk steps at the beginning, but then it levels out with a gradual incline). My 4 year old handled it just fine. In late July there was a bunch of snow on the trail so parts were a little slippery/slower to maneuver through. There were a lot of wildlife to enjoy as well. Ground squirrels, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats (which is the first and only time I've seen mountain goats and are now a new favorite animal). While busy, it was not overwhelmingly so on the trail itself. NOTE: The trailhead is at the Logan Pass parking lot. Shuttle tickets are incredibly difficult to get. I logged on before they were available and within a minute all the tickets were gone with me luckless. I did this 2 months in advance and then the night before. We decided to chance it with the lot. Took us about 40 minutes to get a spot. You are only allowed 3 hours in that lot. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to do this trail comfortably. The rest of the time we used for the restroom and the small visitor center and gift shop. Besides the stress of the parking and tickets (that failed) this was definitely worth the time and effort. Loved it!

This is an average trail, 1hr 30 mins two way. View is…read morefantastic. You can also see mountain goats if you are lucky. Beautiful mountain flowers and glacier view.

Without a doubt, one of the most breathtaking national parks we've ever visited! Glacier National…read morePark completely exceeded our expectations and gave us some of the most unforgettable experiences. There was something incredible around every corner: Wildlife: We were lucky enough to see grizzly bears, black bears, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, birds, and so much more. Seeing these animals in their natural habitat was truly special. Glaciers & mountain views: Ancient glaciers surrounded by towering peaks, dramatic landscapes, and endless mountain views it honestly felt unreal. Turquoise lakes: The crystal-clear, turquoise waters looked almost too perfect to be real. Every lake felt like a postcard. Boat rides: A peaceful way to take in the beauty of the park, surrounded by glacier-fed waters and stunning mountain scenery. Hiking: Every trail we explored was worth it! Avalanche Lake, Hidden Lake, Running Eagle Falls, and more each one offered something completely different and beautiful. Wildflowers: Colorful wildflowers and bear grass were everywhere, adding even more beauty to an already incredible landscape. Huckleberry ice cream: And of course, you can't visit Glacier without trying huckleberry ice cream! Such a fun and delicious Glacier tradition. From the wildlife and glaciers to the turquoise lakes, scenic drives, hikes, and peaceful boat rides, Glacier National Park truly has it all. We left with so many beautiful memories and a camera roll full of pictures we'll be looking at for a long time. Absolutely unforgettable and 100% worth the trip!

Where to start?! This has been a bucket list item for some time and not sure why I ever waited…read more If this is on your list GO NOW it does not disappoint!! Solo visit so easy to get up early and beat the crowds through Going to the Sun Road and Logan Pass parking drama. Perks: wildlife still out and about, easy parking to be had along the road and all lots, not a lot of crowds for optimum photo catching. Cooler on those hot days! Cons: no services open or available so have to have everything you need planned out until things open (normally 8 or 9 o'clock). I will have to venture back to grab a stamp for my NPS passport. I could spend a year here and still be excited to go and see more or hike another trail. It is a beautiful and pristine park to respectfully enjoy. I used the general store at Rising Sun mid morning to grab a few gift and snack items as well as refill water (bottle filler inside or purchase drinks of choice). Has just about anything you need there for purchase along with bathroom and showers. I can't speak for the park service visitor centers at Apgar nor Logan Pass as I didn't use as they were not open when I entered (save restroom at Logan). Logan Pass has free parking for 3 hours if you can get a spot. You do have to use the kiosk to out in plate data which provides time stamp and place on dash. Of note, there is a lot of places where you are driving by sheer cliffs with falling rock hazards with tight areas. Be mindful of the speed limits when reducing to 25 as they are normally around these tight areas or people congested areas. Also be courteous, there are plenty of pull off areas if you prefer to go slow, pull off and let others proceed smartly. Whether you are a hiker for the trails or a boater to grab one of the rentals to take out on the lake there is plenty to do here. Items book well in advance so book early and come enjoy one amazing National Park!!

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!

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.

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.

I can't comment on the service here, only the hike to reach this point. However, the views of the…read moreglacier national park vista from granite peak chalet are absolutely unmatched. Regardless of whether you take the loop trail, the highline, or an alternative to reach this point, it is a welcome sight. Apparently during summer there is a functional restaurant up there too - but when I came on 6/29/25, the seasonal staff member I met said they didn't open until tomorrow! They do NOT have any running water up there so bear it in mind as well - make sure you bring enough ESPECIALLY if you're staying the night in one of the cabins here. Overall - if on the loop trail or highline etc, would absolutely rec hitting the chalet for a photo op, or maybe a snack in summer when it's open.

Great place, Spectacular views, ... Breathtaking hikes, but…read morethey want you out of bed by 8:30 am at the latest. Even though quiet time is 10 pm, people stay up talking (Talking loud) well past that point. You can ask them to whisper, but that doesn't help. There are really no walls between the rooms, just half logs stacked together with an inch and a half of space between the two halve's. No, you can not see into the other room, but you can hear everything from the other room as if there were no walls. The chalet offers ear plugs but that only helps if the other people try to be quiet. Everyone should be told at check in about respect for other guests by being quiet between certain hours because of the walls. So, my point, if your not out of bed by 8:30, even though you have only slept a few hours because of the noise the other guests are making, you will be awakened by the staff going through the empty rooms with their music extremely loud (really dude, that's why they make the earbud). I did ask him to turn it down, the response was totally childish. The next few minutes were filled with multiple, yes multiple, doors slamming accompanied with loud music. He did make an effort to slam the doors. He went down the stairs, came back up, went into the room on the east side of mine, slammed both doors. Then, he went to the room on the west side and slammed those doors. And then he went back to the east room and slammed those doors again. All within a few minutes. I realize the staff gets their time off during the day, and they need that time, but at whose expense!? I really want to go back and hike the trails I didn't do and even spend more time on the trails already done. But that may not be possible, now. The socialities were great if you were face to face, but don't hinder their free time. Only one of the four staff didn't seem to worried about her free time. I guess she was had been there longer or she was having someone make the noise for her. Who knows. All I know, if we weren't on their schedule, ... Really, moving the hot water to the staff counter just because it's after 9:00 am. How subtle can you be, you already had breakfast. Overall, we had a great time at the Granite Park Chalet. I appreciate what this family is doing to make these places more accessible. Thank you (everyone at the office) for the accomodations you made. I could not have made this trip without you.

Awesome experience. If you are looking to explore Glacier National Park and hone your photo skills…read moreyou will not be let down. Sarah is both an excellent teacher and guide. She was very patient with our group and adapted to both the weather and our individual skills. Can't wait to bring the family back and have Sarah provide us with another wonderful experience.

Sarah has magical qualities in how she works with people and with cameras. If you're up this way…read moreand want an adventure where you might just find the time of your life, Glacier Photo Guides is not going to let you down. Sarah has a special way with the camera. You will learn things to be the best human possible. Expect to have your heart and mind changed for the good!

I know there's plenty of wonderful hikes out there. Everyone has their favorites....well, for me,…read moreSt. Mary Falls paired with immaculate Virginia Falls was one of the BEST HIKES I did in all of Glacier National Park!!! This trailhead is located along Going to the Sun Road, past the apex of Logan Pass near the St. Mary section of the park. In all, I'd say it's situated about 12 miles from the eastern entrance of Glacier. There's a parking lot that is relatively small. It certainly fills up at peak times. And...along the road, I didn't find much parking space available. I visited during the afternoon around 4pm and got lucky to find a spot. Here goes, wow....normally I'm just okay with visiting a couple of waterfalls. Here at this St Mary Trail, you can hike to 3 waterfalls....Baring Falls, St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls. The prior day I had visited Baring Falls from the Sun Point Trailhead (which is worthwhile!) so for arriving here at St. Mary, I just had 2 falls to explore. And...a great aspect in navigating to these falls is that they're not too far of a journey. First up, St. Mary Falls is only 1.2 miles from the beginning, and it goes along a very scenic hike with beautiful mountain vistas in the distance. Upon reaching St. Mary Falls, the cascades were quite impressive and beautiful. It was a little congested with plenty of tourists typically hogging space for photo time. Ultimately, I got the opportunity for my own pics and they came out well. Repeating again....the setting is quite tranquil and peaceful with the jagged mountain peaks hovering all around. Also, it's not a strenuous hike getting here. I spent 15 minutes or so staring at St Mary's Falls before continuing on. Now comes to what truly BLEW ME AWAY!. Lol...I know, it's just waterfalls, but Virginia Falls was one of the BEST SIGHTS I ENCOUNTERED IN GLACIER! Truly. From St. Mary Falls it's only 7/10's of a mile further along the trail. Though...getting to Virginia Falls is uphill, more strenuous than getting to St. Mary, but nothing difficult or out of the ordinary. Along this 7/10's of a mile, you will pass another set of chuting waterfalls (much smaller in stature and there's no name for them), but certainly worthy of a picture. Finally! Arriving at Virginia Falls, wow what a wonderful and mesmerizing waterfall! Set against a cliff backdrop with the rushing torrent dropping down like a picture perfect postcard....I was so impressed! Lol....it happened to rain along my hike to Virginia Falls so plenty of visitors went away hiding and I actually had the falls to myself. I couldn't believe my good fortune. So, yeah...before soaking up and immersing myself in the pure scenic joy of this outpouring of water, it was necessary to capture 20 or so photos, both horizontally and vertically....(however I was maneuvering my camera, I couldn't go wrong)... for that glistening "money shot" image! I guess, what I'm trying to explain is the height at which Virginia Falls starts and how it ceremoniously drops from it's peak....it was inspiring. I was truly humbled by the sight. Once I took my full complement of pictures, I had to sit down. Regardless of whether it was wet outside from the rain....here was an opportunity, a moment, to bask in nature and one of the prettiest waterfalls I had confronted in recent memory. I took a good chunk of time here to reflect on where I was, at Glacier National Park....in such a surreal setting. It gave me a chance to reflect on how traveling, engaging the outdoors and tackling the stunning wonders of the world is one of my passions in life. And I don't take for granted, anything, ever. Finally, from Virginia Falls you can continue on the loop eventually making your way to Baring Falls, though according to the map....it looked like a much further trek going forward along the trail (possibly a few more miles). Instead, I turned around and ventured back the way I originally began. In all the path to Virginia Falls, combined with St. Mary Falls along the way...is 3.8 miles round trip. The trek is absolutely worthwhile and not difficult. For the chance to witness these brilliant and radiant waterfalls, St. Mary Hike and Trail is 5 stars as good as it gets and cannot be missed!

After a day of long strenuous hikes I wanted to end it with a nice and easy hike. I came here at…read morearound 8pm on a Saturday and there were lots of parking spots in the small parking lot. This trail is closer to the St. Mary entrance of the park but if you're driving through the entirety of the Going-to-the-Sun Road you'll stop by this trailhead. The trail to the St. Mary waterfall is only about 1 mile from the parking lot and there's no elevation at all which makes for a very easy hike. From the St. Mary waterfall you can continue on to the Virginia Falls but I chose not to as the sun was going down and I didn't want to be out on a hike by myself in the near darkness, but the hike to Virginia Falls is not that much further or harder.