Grinnell Glacier trail is a national park hiking gem
Glacier National Park is packed with classic mountain treks. If you like the ups and downs of hiking – literally! – this is the place for you.
(Jump to trail specs here.)
The Unshakable Husband and I had three days to spend in the western Montana park, and that meant three hikes. Grinnell Glacier trail came highly recommended by some adventuresome friends of ours, so we pegged it for day 2.
But not without apprehension. Grinnell Glacier trail is an out-and-back 10-miler with more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain – and it was labeled a “Very Challenging” hike in the Glacier National Park info packet. But the more we learned about it, the more we wanted to give it a try.
Since the trail would top out at 6,500 feet, we got a start on acclimating to the elevation by camping in the park overnight.
Parkinson’s tip
If your hometown is at low elevation, spend at least one night in the park or nearby in a high-altitude town before you do any hiking in Glacier. Without acclimating, high elevations can cause dizziness, and Parkinson’s has its own set of balance issues. That’s a double whammy you’ll want to avoid.
To get to the trailhead, we drove from our campsite to the park’s St. Mary entrance, then outside of the park through the tiny town of Babb, and finally to the Many Glacier entrance via a well-maintained dirt road. Drive time to Grinnell Glacier Trailhead: 45 minutes.
It was July in the popular park, so we knew we’d have plenty of company on this hike, and it started in the parking lot. Our bright-and-early start yielded us one of the last parking spaces. It was 7 a.m.
Off we went into the woods, and within minutes we passed a female moose contentedly grazing about 80 feet from us. “I won’t bother you if you don’t bother me, sister,” I thought. I believe we had a mutual understanding.
The path was well-kept, easy to follow, and mostly smooth. That is, until we came to a water crossing. That delighted me — such crossings are one of my favorite hiking challenges. I hadn’t been expecting it, though, and didn’t have my trekking poles out. The water was shallow and the rocks close together, so I crossed it sans poles. (That’s not me in the photo. But isn’t she awesome?)
As we gradually ascended, the views were plentiful and breathtaking. I marveled at the Creator’s colorful handiwork: blue sky, white clouds, turquoise lakes, gray and red rock, green foliage. This is what pulls me outdoors, where I can immerse myself in nature’s gifts.
See the moose? It’s the speck on the edge of the lake.
Then about two hours out, more water. This time it was a mini waterfall splashing over a 15-foot wall very close to the steps in front of us. It was the only way forward. For that section, I brought out the trekking poles.
Parkinson’s tip
I’ve said in other posts that I’ve never been a big “poles person,” as I feel pretty steady on my feet. I believe that will begin to change soon, as the Parkinson’s progresses. It’s one of those markers reminding me that I’m not totally in charge. Not in charge of my brain disease, but very much in charge of my attitude about it.
The elevation really starts to kick in after the mini falls, so slow the pace and stop to rest often. There may even be an occasional bench waiting for you.
At 10 a.m., just under three hours from our start, we saw this sign and rejoiced. Grinnell Lake was just around the corner. (And a place to pee, too.)
There were several groups of people savoring the moment at the lake’s edge. Some guys were egging each other on to jump in. The lake is fed by the mega-huge Grinnell Glacier, and the water temperature is usually below 45 degrees.
There are places to dip in your feet, or your whole self! I won’t say whether Mr. Unshakable and I got in – you can guess by the picture. (If you choose to go in a glacier lake, don’t stay longer than a couple minutes, and have a towel and dry clothes to quickly change into. Hypothermia is real.)
It was a partly cloudy day, and the surface sparkled when sunlight appeared. We ate lunch and spent more than a half hour at the lake. Then we headed back.
Out-and-back trails are nice at a view-friendly place like Glacier National Park because going back you get a different perspective of what you saw coming up. It’s like a whole different scene.
Parkinson’s tip
About those views. When walking downward, keep your eyes on the trial whenever you’re moving. It’s easy for anyone, but especially those with even minor gait problems, to trip or lose balance when gazing at the loveliness. Stop, plant your feet, and then take in the sight.
On our way down, later-start hikers were coming up. Yes, there were a lot of them.
Our poles definitely had come back out of the pack by the time we reached the slippery waterfall steps, and I was glad I had them. For me, fatigue was setting in.
Back at the trailhead, I was glad to have chosen this hike, which is found on many Top 10 national park hikes lists. I was also glad that we had taken our time and rested often. We looked forward to a meal at the park’s Ptarmigan Restaurant just a few miles away.
Total time on the Grinnell Glacier trail (with lots of breaks): not quite 6 hours.
Hike info
PD difficulty level (see chart): Difficult
Distance: 10 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: about 2,000 feet
Trailhead location: Latitude 48.79667 | Longitude -113.65815
Bathrooms/pit toilets: one at trailhead, another a half mile from Grinnell Lake
Emergency medical support: about an hour from trailhead in Browning
Costs: National Park pass is $35 for 7 days
Road access to trailhead: Park near trailhead, or park shuttles available
Insider tip: Check, check, check before you go. Snow and ice can close parts of the trail even into late May. In summer, watch the weather; afternoon storms are common in the Rockies. Also, there can be road closures due to construction. The park’s shuttle is usually an option.
Other posts about hikes in Glacier National Park
