Check out these 21 magical things to do in Glacier National Park! Amazing hikes, rafting, where to eat and where to stay! The post 21 Amazing Things To Do In Glacier National Park In 2024 appeared first on Crazy...

Spectacular scenery, some of our favorite hikes in the US, glaciers, wildlife viewing and the breathtaking Going-to-the-Sun Road this is Glacier National Park!

You won’t want to miss this pristine wilderness and all the epic things to do in Glacier National Park. There are fantastic opportunities for photographers and those looking for camping and backcountry adventure! Also make sure to set time a side to visit the amazing nearby attractions.

Top Things To Know Before Going

You need a vehicle registration to visit between 6am to 3pm in the summer at the following locations: May 24 through September 8: West side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and North Fork July 1 through September 8 vehicle reservations are required for Many Glacier Click here for the most current information on vehicle registrations The Going To The Sun Road sometimes doesn’t open until July. Want help planning get our Glacier Guide. Glacier National Park Construction – Keep an eye on their site for updates on how that could impact your trip.

Top Things To Do In Glacier National Park

Go on a rafting trip or scenic float. Fly casting lesson. Red Bus Tour. Hiking in Glacier.

Things To Do In Glacier National Park

You will drive the stunning Going To The Sun Road, visit the more remote Polebridge Mercantile and Bowman Lake, do some of the best hikes in Glacier and visit the gorgeous Many Glacier area on an awesome Glacier Itinerary either as a National Park Road Trip or a stand alone trip.

Visitor Center

When you first get to Glacier National Park we recommend making a stop at the visitor center. It is a great place to grab a map and park newspaper, learn about any road or trail closures, and to talk to the ranger about things to do at Glacier National Park – with over a million acres there are a lot of things to pick from!

Then of course there are all the souvenirs . . . we always end up with a sticker from each of the Visitor Centers we go to and once in a while leave with a t-shirt or hat.

Ok time to dive into what to do in Glacier National Park! We list a variety of hikes on here but don’t worry if you aren’t a hiker there are still a lot of things you can do. Plus some of these hikes are on the shorter side so if you have it in you go for it! You will be glad you did.

Hike the Trail of the Cedars

There are so many great day hikes in Glacier (there are over 700 miles of trails!) and this is a great trail to start with. It is very popular and the trail itself is wide and well marked so you won’t get lost. It is also short so gives you a chance to warm yourself up for a couple longer hikes.

Believe me when I say even if you have never hiked a day in your life you will be totally fine on this trail.

I love that the trail has one of the most beautiful waterfalls we saw at Glacier on it and it is so easy to access that anyone can see it! The trail is also wheelchair accessible and you could bring a stroller on it as well.

For more on hiking: Best Hikes In Glacier National Park With Kids

Visit Lake McDonald to hang out at the beach

I wasn’t expecting to spend any time on a beach when we were in Glacier. But it ended up being one of our favorite things to do in Glacier National Park. There are multiple pull offs by Lake McDonald, don’t look for a sign saying beach this way because there isn’t one, instead just pull off on the side of the road and take the short walk down the hill to the beach.

The beach isn’t pure white sand, but it is good enough that you can sit there comfortably. The water is REALLY cold but depending on how warm it is you can totally jump in to go for a swim or float on an inner tube.

Lake McDonald is the largest lake in Glacier National Park. And is definitely a top Glacier National Park must see. I really wish we would have had a paddle board or kayak to take out – next time!

If you’re interested in learning about fly fishing, check in at the nearby Glacier Outdoor Center for a fly casting lesson!

Drive the Going-To-The-Sun Road**

**Don’t forget you will need a ticket in order to do the Going-To-The-Sun Road – depending on what time of year you go. Plus the road normally doesn’t open until late June or early July – when all the snow has been removed – but this is never a set date. Instead it is based on that seasons weather.

Learn about getting tickets here.

Learn about when the road will open here.

The drive is a bit stressful since the road is small and you are right on the edge of the rocky mountains, but it is also beautiful! There are multiple pullouts where you can stop to take pictures and believe me you will want to.

There is the Weeping Wall where a waterfall splashes down onto the road and multiple other waterfalls that cascade down the mountain top. You also have a good chance of seeing snow. We were there in August and there were still small piles of snow on the mountainside.

There are so many great stopping points along The Going To The Sun Road, I can’t even begin to list them. My best advice is to take your time and stop as often as you can!

Check out our Going-To-The-Sun Road post for more information on what to do and what to see on this epic drive.

The road reaches its highest point at Logan Pass Visitor Center (the heart of the park) and continues toward the St. Mary east side entrance (where there is a really cool hike that takes you to 2 waterfalls. You can learn more about it here: Hiking in Glacier National Park with Kids).

In between these 2 popular destinations is Wild Goose Island in St Mary Lake. This is one of the most iconic picture spots in the entire park. Definitely stop here and get some good shots.

Visit Many Glacier

The drive into Many Glacier is beautiful and offers picturesque views of the Many Glacier hotel and Swiftcurrent Lake. There is also a restaurant in the village that has great food options for kids as well as a convenience store that has vanilla or huckleberry ice cream. A great treat if you’ve been on the move all day!

Apikuni Falls

We recommend doing the fun and adventurous waterfall hike to Apikuni Falls. It’s a shorter hike at 2 miles roundtrip, but does have some elevation gain. The remote waterfall at the end makes it all worth it and there’s even a small pool for the kids to splash around in.

If you can get out to hike it really is one of the best things to do in Glacier National Park.

For more information on this area of the park and what to do there, check out our Many Glacier post! And if you want to do a boat tour check out the options in Many Glacier.

There are plenty of other hiking and wildlife spotting activities to do in Many Glacier. You can even make the long trek out to Grinnell Glacier to see an active glacier. So cool!

Grinnell Glacier

We did this hike with our kids when they were 12, 9, 9 and 7. It is a tough hike with a lot of elevation gain at the end but totally worth it. On the way there you have gorgeous views of the glacial blue lakes – just be on the look out for grizzly bears!

Once we got there we saw the glacier and iceberg floating in the lake! It was so cool to walk around the corner and see the lake filled with icebergs. We stayed for a while just taking in the beauty and ended up being the last people to leave.

There is also an option to take a boat for most the hike – if you are thinking a 7 mile hike won’t work out well for your family. You can learn more about it here: Hiking in Glacier National Park with Kids.

Another hike we have always wanted to do but has always been closed due to grizzly bear activity when we are in Glacier is Iceberg Lake. That made us even more excited when we saw these icebergs on the Grinnell Glacier hike. Just a week before friends had gone on this same hike and there weren’t icebergs in the lake.

We have also seen the Ptarmigan Tunnel recommended. But have not done it ourselves. You can learn more about it here.

Polebridge Mercantile and Lake Bowman

You will have to go to the far side of the park to get here and drive on a dirt road for quite a while, but it is worth it! The pastries at the Polebridge Mercantile are yummy and they have some cool souvenirs too.

The Mercantile is not officially in the park so to get to Lake Bowman you drive back into the park and on a winding dirt road that is really only big enough for 1 1/2 cars but is used as a 2 lane road. We drove it in our car (GMC Acadia) and my parents drove it in their little car (Chevy Sonic) and my sister and her husband drove their 21 foot long rig there. So it is doable. Just be prepared.

After driving on said road for 6 miles you reach the amazing lake and beach area. They do have a campground there and it would be a really cool place to camp for a few nights. If you have a paddle board or kayak bring it! Or rent one if you can transport it.

If you have a sailboat, bring it! Seriously, there was a big old sailboat on the lake when we were there.

Pack a cooler and plan on making a day out of it! For more information on Polebridge and Bowman Lake, check out our post on it!

Visit Whitefish beach and town

Take a day to relax at another great beach in Montana! Head out of Glacier National Park and over to Whitefish to spend time at the public beach – where you can rent kayaks, play on the beach, or swim out to the platform. They also have a concession stand.

Be aware this is not a Caribbean beach so the water is cold. I don’t think it ever really warms up. But if the sun is shining it is still a good time and well worth it.

Then head over to the town to walk the streets, do some shopping, and grab dinner. They also have the Great Northern Brewing Company, which is fantastic, and during the summer months have lots of festivals and events going on. There are so many fun things to do in Whitefish, Montana!

Go On A Rafting Trip

The water in Glacier is just so beautiful and getting out onto it is an amazing experience. If you have younger kids you are able to do a scenic float. This means there are no real rapids. A couple of spots were a little bumpy, but nothing crazy.

Kids do need to wear lifejackets and they have water shoes you can borrow when you are there. You shouldn’t get overly wet, but you will get a little bit wet getting in and out of the raft and as you hit those bumpy spots.

Also note that in the middle of the trip there is a spot where they let you jump out of the boat to swim. They pick this spot for the reason that there isn’t a strong current. Cannon, Craig and Carson did go in.

The water was FREEZING, but they still enjoyed it. That being the case you will want to bring some towels with. We didn’t and it made the second part of the trip not as an enjoyable for those that jumped in.

If your kids are older and want to do a real half-day rafting trip or full-day rafting trip you can do that too! I believe the trips starts as young as 6, but it also depends on the time of year and the size of the rapids. You can also book a dinner option!

We did our trip with Glacier Guides Montana Raft and really enjoyed it. We wrote more about it here: Rafting With Kids With Montana Raft

Visit the Whitefish Mountain Resort for the day

If you went to the beach you may have already been in the town of Whitefish, but to get to the Whitefish Mountain Resort you have to go up the mountain. In the winter it is a skiing resort.

In the summer you can do a variety of fun things: Rope Course, Incline Slide, Zip Lining, ride the gondola, mountain biking or take the ski lift up. They also have a blow up climbing thing that is great for younger kids.

The gondola ride to the top of the mountain brought us up to a location that has a restaurant and bar along with a small nature museum. This is also where we picked fresh huckleberries on the mountainside!

They were so yummy. If you are there at the right time of year I highly recommend doing this.

You can find the huckleberries by walking down the main hiking trail and the bushes are right off the trail – you may have to climb a little ways off trail to get to them. The best thing to do is ask the workers that are there where you can find them.

At this point you could hike the 4 miles back down or just take the gondola back. Your choice! If you are into mountain biking they also have an amazing mountain biking course.

Read our post about our day there here: Whitefish Mountain Resort Summer Activities

Hike the Avalanche Lake Trail

This is a great hike for kids as it’s a bit longer, but not too much elevation. Clocking in at just over 4.5 miles roundtrip, it will test everyone. I highly recommend checking the weather – we didn’t and got stuck in a thunderstorm when we were at the lake!

Assuming the weather is good, the trail is very populated. You should always have your bear spray and be on the lookout, but popular trails normally mean you won’t see any while you are hiking.

This hike takes you about 2 miles through the forest on a very well marked trail. Then at the top it opens up into a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains and waterfalls.

The water is very shallow so it isn’t like you will be swimming in it but you can definitely walk out a little ways and get your feet wet.

We recommend bringing snacks and a few drinks to celebrate making it to the lake. There is a pit toilet near the lake as well.

Even if you aren’t a hiker I highly recommend giving this hike a go. I promise you will be glad you did!

Visit Logan Pass and hike to Hidden Lake Overlook

Logan Pass is like a whole other world. You drive the Going To The Sun Road to get here and the Logan Pass Visitor Center is located at the top point of the road. It is amazingly beautiful! Like words can’t describe it beautiful.

Parking can be hard since it is a busy place so be patient and look for people leaving so you can take their spot. Then head into the visitor center to check out the small displays they have, to ask a ranger any questions you have and if you time it right you could listen to a ranger talk as well.

After that head out on the Hidden Lake nature trail. Again even if you aren’t a hiker, do it. Another populated trail with a very clear trail laid out.

Part of it is steps. It is a steady incline all the way up then once you get to the hidden lake overlook the view is amazing.

This one is a leg burner! It’s not much of an elevation gain, but for some reason we struggled going up this one.

At this point you could head down to the shores of the hidden lake – but note this will add 3 miles to your trip. Or you could hang out at the lookout for a while and then head back down.

Both times we did the trail we saw mountain goats. Both times they walked right across the path in front of us. It was a really cool experience! They are used to people so they don’t seem to mind them and we were sure to give them their space.

You can also check out the scary but cool Highline Trail across the street from the Logan Pass visitors center. Look for the continental divide sign as well!

Highline Trail

This was a bit scary! You are walking right on the edge overlooking the Going To The Sun Road. They even have a rope on the side for you to hold on to. As long as you are careful it is a gorgeous hike!

We hiked about a mile out and a mile back – or else you can keep going.

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Planning a trip to Glacier? We put together a series of digital guides that take the guesswork out of planning. Stop-by-stop itineraries for making the most of 1, 3 or 7 days in Glacier National Park including where to stay, where to eat, what hikes to take and the best driving routes.

We’ve even included links for you to book your stays and buy your park passes. Everything you need in one convenient digital guide. Just download and go!

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Map Of Glacier Entrances:

The entrances in gray: North Fork and West Glacier are the ones that you need a vehicle reservation ticket for starting May 26th the rest (in red) you need one starting July 1st.

Visit Canada and the Waterton Lakes National Park

**Be sure to check with the Canadian border to see if US Citizens are allowed in.**

Seriously do it. There are so many Glacier National Park things to do and it is an amazing park and you could spend months exploring it, but if you don’t think you will be back up this way again then take the trip up to Canada. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get there so it is a whole day event.

We crossed the border – I believe you need passports or the passport card so double check that, stopped for a picture by the Alberta sign and then headed straight to the National Park.

We did a couple of hikes in Waterton Lakes, but our favorite by far was Red Rock Canyon. There is a trail that walks along the rim of the canyon, but we climbed down into the canyon for an epic creek walk!

Our feet were numb the entire time, but it was a blast climbing and navigating the river. It was pretty low when we were there, but a few spots got up over our knees.

You’ll want some good toe protection as there are big rocks under the water that you can’t really see. We recommend Keens.

You can also stop at the Waterton Glacier International Peace Park. Learn more about what that is here.

Funny story . . . at the beginning of the hike there are a ton of people hanging out and playing by the water. The further you go down the creek the less people there are.

The whole way I did great keeping up with the kids and helping them. We then turned around to head back.

We were right back by the beginning – where all the people were – and Cannon did this awesome 2 footed slide down a hard climbing spot. It was only about a foot long slide. I asked him to come show me again how

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