Great 3 Day Itinerary for Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park was a place that rose up our priority list quickly based off pictures and the rave reviews we had heard. We knew this was a place we needed to get to. Here is a breakdown of our trip there, and a great 3 day itinerary for Glacier National Park.

You can read about our epic road trip from Denver to Glacier National Park here. Scoring a reservation for Going-to-the-Sun road is no easy feat, and we happened to get super lucky (check out recreation.gov). It was a random day in February while we were on contract in Joshua Tree, and the reservation notification came across my socials. We took it as a sign to try to get a reservation and figure it out from there, even though we had no idea where we would be living at the time.

Sure enough, we got a 3 day reservation (it looks like it is only 1 day now) and a campsite at Apgar campground near Lake McDonald. Then we got a contract offer in Denver, and the gears started turning. “What if we did a week long car camp road trip to Glacier National Park, with stops at Grand Tetons and Yellowstone?”

You can see how we car camp in our Hyundai Tucson here.

East vs West Entrance

You can enter on the east or west side of the park. The west side, through West Glacier, is the more popular entrance and the only entrance that requires a reservation. If you enter through St. Mary’s on the east side, YOU DO NOT NEED A RESERVATION. So, if you can come from the east, do it!

We entered through St. Mary’s because we planned on circling back the other direction and leaving from St. Mary’s to see Flathead Lake on the way back towards Denver. The east side is also where you get to the Many Glacier area of GNP, but you do need a reservation (check here).

After a few days of mostly driving, today was finally the day that we would get to Glacier NP! We still had a good solid drive ahead of us, but we were excited. You can start to see how beautiful this mountain range is from hours away. The drive is somewhat parallel to the mountain range, so you get a good idea of what you are in for. We made sure to fill up the gas tank in St. Mary before entering the park.

This is what you see just a couple minutes in to the drive (literally jaw dropping). Glacier NP is what I (Adam) consider to be the most beautiful area that I have been to in the United States (San Juan Mountains in Colorado is a close second), and at least in the top 3 internationally as well (disclaimer: there are lots of beautiful places that we have not made it to yet). Even with how amazing the pictures are, they never do it justice. You have to see this place with your own eyes. it is absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!

Day 1

Avalanche Lake

Our journey continued up through Logan Pass, as we drove by Highline Trail that we would be hiking the following morning. It always baffles me how these insane windy roads on the sides of sheer cliffs were constructed in the 1920’s and 30’s (1933 for Going-to-the-Sun Road). Erin always gets pretty nervous on the roads along these cliffs, so I always do this part of the driving.

The hike we were planning for our first day was to Avalanche Lake. This one is more on the west side of the park, so we got to drive through and see a lot of it. Our Garmin watches clocked it at ~5.8 miles, with just over 1110 elevation gain. Highly recommend hiking to the far end of the lake when you get there, much less people. We took the opportunity to take a cold plunge, which felt incredible after a long day of driving.

Apgar Campground

Alas, we were finally on our way to our camp site at Apgar Campground. It was nice to know that we would be here for the next couple of nights. A lovely campground on the west side of the park and on the shores of Lake McDonald. Reservations go quickly, so do your best to plan ahead. Or be vigilant about watching for cancellations, we have been lucky to snag some good ones that way.

Day 2

Highline Trail

This was the big highlight for our trip to Glacier NP. We had heard rave reviews, and the pictures look unbelievable. The parking at Logan Pass fills up EARLY, so we knew we needed to get an early start. Our plan was to leave at 6 AM, to be at the parking lot and start the hike by 7 AM. We were successful in finding a spot. But, it was already pretty dang full. Another reason we needed to start early, was that this is a pretty hefty hike.

Our plan was to do an out and back to the Granite Park Chalet, with a detour up to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook. Some will do this hike as a “loop,” that starts at Logan Pass and ends at “The Loop.” It is not actually a loop per se, but the shuttle ride back completes the loop. The Loop is just under 12 miles, with ~1950 feet of elevation gain. Our hike came in at right about 17 miles, with ~3900 feet of elevation gain. It took us ~7.5 hours total, with ~20-30 minutes of rest between Grinnell Glacier Overlook and lunch at the chalet.

The most challenging part of the hike, was definitely the Grinnell Glacier Overlook. You gain about 1000 feet of elevation in less than a mile, so it is quite steep. But, it is worth it. It offers some beautiful views of the mountains, Lake McDonald, and of course Grinnell Glacier on the other side. This was our best bet at seeing Grinnell Glacier since the actual glacier trail was still closed.

This was one of our favorite hikes that we have done. It was not easy, but it was totally worth it. From the pictures, you can see we had absolutely perfect weather. Every turn you make on this trail, you see something new and so beautiful. Highly recommend!

Many Glacier

Somehow we still had the energy to keep on going after The Highline Trail. So we headed toward the east entrance on our way to the Many Glacier area of the park, just over an hour away. Seeing as we just did a 17 mile hike with a good amount of elevation gain, we were “hiked out.” Instead we grabbed a snack and a beer at Many Glacier Hotel, and enjoyed the beautiful views. Just remember, YOU DO NEED A MANY GLACIER RESERVATION from July 1 – September 8.

After a bit of food/drink and rest, we started our journey back to our campground. It is almost 2.5 hours from Many Glacier to Apgar, so be prepared. Thankfully, it is one of the most beautiful drives that you can imagine, so it goes by a little faster. This is a big day, so we were exhausted by the time we got back.

Making dinner at the camp did not sound like the most fun, so we went and got burgers and another beer at Paul Bunyan Bar & Grill outside the park. The vibes were good, the burger was big, and the beer was cold. Would definitely recommend for that comfort food and cold beer you are looking for after a big day of exploring.

Day 3

Lake McDonald

This (half) day was planned to be pretty chill, with a relaxed breakfast and coffee, then some time on the lake. We rented paddle boards from Glacier Park Boat Company right on the shore of the lake. It costs ~$16-17 per hour, and is cheaper than the rentals in Apgar Village.

The backdrop of the mountains on the lake, with the blue water and multi colored rocks is just an absolutely amazing place to be able to paddle board. Just be aware of which direction the wind is going, and how far away you get from the launch. There is also an Eagle Sanctuary that you can see from the lake, and we were able to spot a few bald eagles from our boards (Note: you cannot go on shore where the sanctuary is, enjoy from afar).

Huckleberry Patch and Flathead Lake

Unbeknownst to us, there is huckleberry everything up here. On our way out of the park, we stopped by Huckleberry Patch for some baked goods and huckleberry licorice for the drive back. The huckleberry shake was also surprisingly tasty.

Part of our plan for entering the east side and leaving the west side was to be able to check out Flathead Lake on the way out. Unsurprisingly, we found Tamarack Brewing Company on the west side of the lake and planned to stop there for a late lunch and beer. Good food, good beer, and crowded. Would recommend for anyone in the area for sure.

Glacier National Park is in our Tier 1 of parks that we have visited (with the likes of Yosemite and Zion). It is such a magnificent place to visit, and there is so much more to see! Reach out to us if you have any questions, or any recommendations for us to improve this itinerary!

EA

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